Stephanie, Author at Binkies and Briefcases • Page 17 of 80

Books To Help Young Kids With Grief

April 16, 2015 By: Stephanie5 Comments

After I wrote The Cookie Jar Parable, I started getting requests from schools and counselors and families for copies of the book. Grief is a topic that we don’t associate with children very often, but it comes up more than we think. My own kids have already been through the loss of two great-grandparents. Books are one way that we can help them understand and process the new feelings that are associated with their loss. Here are a few recommendations for books that can help during such a difficult time.

Books to Help Young Kids With Grief

(Hover over each book cover image for an affiliate link to its Amazon page for more information.)

Samantha Jane’s Missing Smile is a book often recommended for children who have lost a parent.

I Miss You: This book discusses death in secular (non-religious) terms that very young children can understand, and helps to show children that their feelings are valid and natural.

The Cookie Jar Parable is the book that I authored. If you are looking for a children’s book with a faith-based philosophy to help a child process grief, this might be a good selection for you.

Another book about the loss of a grandparent, but this time told through the lens of animals, Goob and His Grandpa is part if the 7 Habits of Happy Kids series.

If you have a child who has recently had to say goodbye to a pet, check out Saying Goodbye to Lulu.

If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.

Perspective from the Lobster Tank

April 15, 2015 By: Stephanie2 Comments

Yesterday we went out to dinner to celebrate because I was honored to be chosen as a BlogHer Voice of the Year honoree this year. The girls put on dresses and Abby insisted on wearing silver shoes that were too small, and we headed out to Red Lobster to gorge ourselves on cheddar biscuits.

We made our way through our meal, trying to make conversation, and helping the kids constantly put their coats on and take them off again because they couldn’t decide if they were too hot or too cold. We went back and forth to the bathroom (and, not coincidentally, past the lobster tank) three times. At one point we all abandoned our table because all of the kids were whispering they had an “emergency” at the same time, so we went to take them to the restrooms– again.

Towards the end of our meal, as we waited for boxes for the food that sat untouched on the kids’ plates, Nick whispered that it was his turn to need the facilities, so Eddie whisked him away. Penny started getting restless. She got out of her seat and walked over to share some food off of Abby’s plate. Abby had chosen orange slices as her side dish. The two of them started making silly faces with the orange peels. A second earlier, Abby had tried to walk over to me, bumped her leg on the table, and for a brief moment, hopped around in the aisle very dramatically. Alone at the table with my daughters, I could feel myself starting to lose my patience.

Then a stranger was kind enough to stop by our table on her way out the door and give me back some perspective.

Her husband rushed ahead of her and honestly seemed a bit irritated that she was bothering us. But I was not bothered at all. In fact, I was comforted by her words.

“I just had to tell you, your children are wonderful. It’s so nice to see.”

As I thanked her I realized that when she looked at us, she wasn’t looking at my children’s faults, as in that moment I had been. She was looking at the bigger picture. Her mind saw us as a family eating a special dinner. She saw my children sharing their food. She saw us engaging in conversations. Maybe she noticed that we don’t allow our children to take toys or electrons into restaurants, or maybe she didn’t notice that at all because she was too busy seeing my kids engage with each other. Maybe she was close enough to hear my son use his manners when he placed his order. Or maybe she just thought I looked flustered and needed a little bit of encouragement. All of those things could be true.

I don’t know what it was that made her stop in that moment, but I’m glad that she did.

Now I can do the same thing for you. Maybe it’s been a while since a stranger stopped to compliment your kids.

But “I just had to tell you, your children are wonderful.”

Book Cover Parodies for a Good Cause

April 13, 2015 By: Stephanie7 Comments

Penny and I have been working on a special project. (Don’t let her grumpy face fool you, she had an awesome time playing dress up, she kept asking to do more!) I was inspired by Mayhem and the way she works with her mom to recreate dresses from special events like the Oscars. I might not be as talented as Mayhem’s mom when it comes to paper dresses, but I had an idea for a photography project of our own.

I wanted to bring in my teaching background and recreate iconic book covers with my kids. We chose well-known books with covers that were easy to recreate using things around our house. At the end of this post I am linking to programs that promote childhood literacy. Several of those programs even provide free books for schools or parents. My hope is that as this post is read and shared on social media, it will bring more awareness to these programs and others like them.

UPDATE: Nick and Abby wanted to get in on the action, so we made a few more.

I’m also hoping that parents, teachers, and kids like YOU will want to get involved by recreating book covers of your own favorite books. If you want to participate, you can share your book cover recreation photos on my Binkies and Briefcases Facebook page, or on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #bookcoverkids. (Teachers, please make sure to obtain parental consent before posting pictures of students.) I can’t wait to see what you create!

List of Resources:

Dolly’s Parton’s Imagination Library

Try the free version of the Reading Rainbow App

Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Program

Scholastic Reading Club

First Book

Reading Is Fundamental

Read to Grow

JetBlue’s Book Vending Machines

This is by no means a complete and comprehensive list. I’d love to add to it. Feel free to share information about other literacy programs in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see the creative book cover recreations from other readers!

Italian Family Night with World Menu

April 2, 2015 By: Stephanie15 Comments

Recently we went to a make your own pizza Italian Family Night with some friends and the kids had an awesome time!

We just handed each of the kids a pre-made crust and set out the toppings in small bowls on the table. We included things like:

shredded cheese
jarred pizza sauce
sliced peppers
pre-cooked meat
olives

But of course you can add whatever you like! That’s what makes this so fun. (I’m one of those crazy people who likes pineapple on pizza.)

The kids had a great time!

So when GIANT food stores asked if we would like to explore their new World Menu products, I thought it would be fun to do another Italian family night at home this week.

We just grabbed some ready-made Italian bread from the bakery and some bruschetta topping from the deli.

Then I made a quick and easy pasta dish with the new heat-and-serve Alfredo sauce from World Menu, paired with fettuccine noodles.

Dinner was ready in less than 20 minutes (including the time it took the water to boil) and we found another meal that all of my kids and my picky husband will eat!

The next time we are at GIANT I’m going to pick up some of the World Menu gnocchi Italian import for us to try. I’ve never had gnocchi before, but it sounds delicious!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of GIANT. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for visiting the blog! If you liked this post, I so appreciate your pins and shares. And if you like this idea, you might also like:

Five Fun Ways to Dye Easter Eggs

April 1, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

If you are looking for some new and creative ways to add a little color to your decorations this year, check out some of these fun ways to dye Easter eggs!

The craft queen herself, Martha Stewart, uses lace to create super easy and beautiful designs.

A Thrifty Mom shows you how to use shaving cream to create a marbled effect. (Tip: you can use this same technique on paper to make gorgeous handmade cards!)

Our Best Bites has a great tutorial for using silk ties to make beautiful patterns on your eggs.

Totally The Bomb likes to use Kool Aid.

Better Homes and Gardens has a whole list of all-natural dyes in just about every color.

In our family we usually stick with the simple, tried-and-true food coloring and vinegar method.

What is your favorite method for dyeing your eggs?

Photo from Deposit Photo.

Father Daughter Dance

March 30, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

Last month Eddie and Abby got to go to the Father/Daughter dance at Abby’s school. We snapped these pictures just before they left. They had a great time!

The Day I Became A New York Times Best Selling Author

March 27, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

This week I got some amazing news! The book that I co-authored back in 2013 with 36 other women, I Just Want to Pee Alone, made the New York Times Best Sellers list in the Family category!

In case you are wondering what it feels like to become a New York Times Best Selling author, the answer is fantastic. In case you are wondering if life has changed in any perceptible way, I can tell you that so far I am still right here, deep in the throes of potty training, dish doing, and laundry folding.

This news comes at the perfect time for some of the other authors in the book because they are releasing its sequel I Still Just Want to Pee Alone this week. I did not submit an essay for the second book (unfortunately there was just too much life getting in the way for me to be able to make the deadline), but I’m thrilled for all of my friends and I wish them tons of success with the second edition!

These books do contain strong language and, much like motherhood, are not for the faint of heart. They also offer some of the most honest, insightful, and hilarious glimpses into the word of motherhood that you will ever find in one place. Plus they make great Mother’s Day gifts. Be sure to check them out!

Jumping Out of My Comfort Zone

March 25, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

You know how some people have a Word of the Year that they like to use?

I’ve never done that before, but if I was going to start now I think I’d like to choose the word “stretch.”

I want to make this year the year that I challenge myself to live up to my potential. As a mom of young kids, I’ve spent the past 7 years buried under diapers and laundry and dishes. My kids are growing and getting a little bit more independent. I have a little bit more freedom now to focus on things I’ve wanted to do for a while.

One of the things I always wanted to do was learn how to sing. I don’t consider myself a very good singer. Like, at all. I’m also an introvert. I don’t love the idea of being “on” in front of other people.

But my husband is a musician and I partner with a full-time musician to help her write lyrics for her songs. It’s something I always wished I could do. I figured it would be a good idea to at least try to learn.

So a few months ago I started taking private singing lessons. The cool part for me was that I could do them over the computer in my own house after my kids went to bed. The cooler part was that I learned that I had a blog reader who was a voice teacher and she offered me some lessons.

Yes, I’ve been working with Rachel Morehouse taking virtual singing lessons.

Mostly just so that I can not sound like a dying cat while I’m doing this:

(Yeah, right. I wish I looked that cute and coordinated doing the dishes. In real life I can’t do the dishes without losing my kid.)

We do our lessons once a week in the evenings over a WebEx meeting.

I’m learning a lot more than I bargained for. Like music theory and chords and breathing exercises. Rachel is super knowledgeable and patient and kind. And this week she made me do a little bit of Pilates on camera for her so that I could engage my stomach muscles a little better. 😉

One of the reasons I never took lessons before is that I assumed they were going to be very expensive. Rachel’s lesson fees begin at $16 per half-hour lesson, plus the cost of music/materials. The only items needed to begin virtual voice lessons are a quiet space, a computer with a webcam and microphone, and a free download of the WebEx program Rachel uses for her video meetings. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

Here’s a little bit more about Rachel from her professional biography:

Rachel Morehouse is the founder of and teacher at Rachel Marie Studio. Rachel grew up with music in her genes, being one of three children born into a family of traveling gospel singers. She began her early music education singing in church and around the piano at family reunions (“no joke, singing Christmas carols around the piano is an annual tradition…we were so Brady Bunch!”). As young as elementary school, Rachel’s love for teaching sprouted as she began teaching her friends how to have the confidence to sing in front of others in school talent shows. When she left for college, she decided to make music her career. Rachel earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance and Worship Music at Olivet Nazarene University in 2005. She studied voice under the tutelage of Dr. Neal Woodruff, who showed her how much more she was capable of, and introduced her to a love of Classical music. When she began RMS shortly after graduation, Rachel knew she wanted to teach others what she had learned (and continues to learn), but not in a classroom setting. She wanted to have personal relationships with her students where she could encourage them and help them grow their talent exponentially. In recent years, Rachel slowed down her performance appointments because she has two little ones running around, but you can find her at her newest engagement, singing to the toddlers at Lakeside Christian Church on Sunday mornings (“And boy, are they a fun audience!”). After 10 years and 3 states, Rachel is even more passionate about her call to help others achieve their musical dreams – from toddlers to seniors and everyone in between!

If you are interested in working with Rachel, you can visit her website or check out her Facebook page.

Because I received free lessons, this is considered a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rachel Marie Studio. All opinions are my own.

Tea at The Front Porch Tea Room

March 24, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

On Saturday the ladies from my church small group met at The Front Porch Tea Room, which happens to be ranked as the #1 tea room in the state of Pennsylvania and in the top 100 tea rooms in the country, and also happens to be right in our neck of the woods.

the front porch tea room york pa

It was freezing and snowy outside, but indoors the atmosphere was much more warm and cozy. I really liked this tea room because it is not as stuffy and concerned with being historically accurate inside as some of the other restaurants located in historical houses in our area are. The staff was friendly and fun. They offered us hats from their wall as soon as we came in (which we declined, but it was still a nice gesture) and The Front Porch immediately reminded me of a place my grandmother would have loved to meet her Red Hat Ladies.

hats at the front porch

It was more casual than I expected for a tea room, which also made me more comfortable because I’m just not a very fancy kind of girl. I did wear a dress and try to get in touch a little bit with my inner Downton Abbey, but I would have been just as comfortable in jeans. It was very much “come as you are and your aunties who you just met will feed you and make you feel loved.”

the front porch tea room dining

front porch sales display

chandy at the front porch

Although, to remind you that you were in fact at High Tea, there were fancy details like the chandeliers and ornate wallpaper (which Bonnie, the tea room’s owner, recently told the local paper that she found at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet) and of course our food was served on fine china.

tea time at the front porch

scones at the front porch tea room

Also, can we talk about these scones? Yum.

We were there for the gourmet breakfast, which included two types of scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, strawberry spread, two types of muffins, caramel french toast, a cheese and ham strata, fruit, orange juice, and as much tea as we could drink- all for less than twenty dollars.

Here are my friends Susan and Chrissy saying “cheers.”

And here are Lacey and I trying not to look cheesy. Try to pretend you don’t see all of my grey hairs. I named them all Nicholas. Except that one in front, that one is Eddie. (Kidding.) (Not really.)

Now I know what “High Tea” actually means.

I would definitely go back and might even consider hosting a birthday party for Abby here in the near future.

Thanks for having us, Front Porch!

This was not a sponsored post, I just happened to have a great time at the tea room and wanted to share a great spot with my readers. 🙂

Thank you for visiting the blog today! I so appreciate all of your pins and shares.

If you liked this post, you may also like:

Eight

March 16, 2015 By: Stephanie1 Comment

Nicholas is eight today.

That means it has been about seven years since I got an email from our social worker with this picture of the toddler who would later become our son.

From the day we met him, in the Playplace of a McDonald’s, he has always had a personality that is larger than life and a genuine happiness in his spirit that just cannot be broken, no matter what circumstances come his way. (Though he has been through some tougher stuff than any child of eight should have to bear.)

He loves airplanes, and LEGOs, and golf, and he has an innate musical ability we’re only just starting to truly understand. Schoolwork is hard, but people are easy– he loves them all, no matter who they are or where they come from. He forgives easily and fast. His eyes sparkle in a way that draw you in and make you love him. He is clumsy and loud and awkward and he repeats himself twenty times when he is excited. He is a magnet for dirt and joy, in equal measures.

He is Nicholas.

And he is ours.

SUBSCRIBE

Books To Help Young Kids With Grief

Perspective from the Lobster Tank

Book Cover Parodies for a Good Cause

Italian Family Night with World Menu

Five Fun Ways to Dye Easter Eggs

Father Daughter Dance

The Day I Became A New York Times Best Selling Author

Jumping Out of My Comfort Zone

Tea at The Front Porch Tea Room

Eight

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