Lisa R. Howeler's Blog, page 57
December 1, 2023
Six Historical Fiction Chapter Books for Children 8 to 12. Books you can read for fun or education
As we all know, history is something important for children to know because, as the saying goes, we are doomed to repeat it if we don’t learn about the negatives of our past. History doesn’t only remind us of negative events, of course, though. We can also learn about how our ancestors lived and about the good things that happened in the past.
As a homeschooling mom, I am grateful to be able to expose my children to a variety of historical fiction that ties in with the historical events we are discussing in our lessons.
My youngest prefers hearing a story versus a list of facts. She learns about history better this way. We have been either introduced to or have found on our own, a selection of fiction books that have enriched our historical knowledge.
What I love about historical fiction is that while the book educates, it also entertains.
Here are six of my family’s favorite historical fiction books for children ages 8 to 12.
(Some links in this article may be affiliate links. This does not affect the cost to you, but may provide commission for items purchased.)
Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark
This story about a brother and sister who hide a slave in the mid-1800s is a nail-biter with a great message but also realistic portrayals of life for black people in the United States when slavery was legal. My daughter and I read it when she was 7, going on 8, and enjoyed it very much, even though it presented us with a difficult topic to discuss. We became wrapped up in the story of Martin, a young male slave, and Laura and her brother who work to help him escape to Canada.
Laura is not completely on board with this mission in the beginning and struggles with overcoming her preconceived ideas about slavery, which makes the story even more realistic and believable.
Description:
Laura Eastman returns to New York after living in the South with relatives for four years to discover that her brother and father are part of the Underground Railroad, helping fugitive slaves to escape to Canada. When a friend brings a runaway slave, Martin, to the house while her father and stepmother are away, Laura must decide what she believes — and whether she should help Martin escape.
2. Children of The Long House by Joseph Bruchac
|| Children of the Longhouse ||
This book is my 9-year-old daughter’s favorite book, besides Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman and the Paddington books. It is a book that tells the story of the Native Americans of our country and kicked off a fascination of Native Americans for my daughter. She now has asked that we read and learn about Native Americans every Friday for our lessons.
The book tells the story of Ohkwa’ri and his sister Otsi:stia. Ohkwa’ri overhears the plans of some boys in the tribe who plan to attack another tribe and tells on them. This makes the boys angry at him and they threaten to hurt him. Between their threats and his being ready to grow into a man, Ohkwa’ri struggles with his emotions while his sister worries about him. Woven into the story is the lead-up to a showdown with the boys and Ohkwa’ri through the game Tekwaarathon (lacrosse).
My daughter was 8 when I read this to her and when we were done she asked me to read it to her again.
I can see this as a book she will read on her own as she grows up as well.
Description: When Ohkwa’ri overhears a group of older boys planning a raid on a neighboring village, he immediately tells his Mohawk elders. He has done the right thing—but he has also made enemies. Grabber and his friends will do anything they can to hurt him, especially during the village-wide game of Tekwaarathon (lacrosse). Ohkwa’ri believes in the path of peace, but can peaceful ways work against Grabber’s wrath?
We have several other books by this author on our book wish list.
3. The Year of Miss Agnes
This book was very charming and also very informative about Native Americans from Alaska.
It is the story of children from the point of view of Frederika (Fred for short), a Native American girl living in a fishing village in remote Alaska. Miss Agnes comes to their small school to teach, but the children think she’ll leave because all their teachers do – the smell of fish and living in the middle of nowhere gets to them too much.
This book had me laughing and a few chapters later I was crying from a touching scene. It was a gentle roller coaster of emotions and at the end, I had such a peaceful and warm feeling.
Description:
A year they’ll never forget
Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn’t have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard.
But Miss Agnes is different — she doesn’t get frustrated with her students, and she throws away old textbooks and reads Robin Hood instead! For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write — but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?
4. Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady
Like The Year of Mrs. Agnes, this book features a girl main character who is brave, strong and overcomes her fear to help not only her family but our country.
This one was an action-packed one and we both looked forward to when it was time to read another chapter of it. This one takes place before the Revolutionary War so it is perfect when you want to teach your child about the start of our nation.
Description:
When her grandfather is injured, 10-year-old Ellen Toliver replaces him on a top-secret patriotic mission. Disguised as a boy, she manages to smuggle a message to General George Washington.
5. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This book is part of the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder but it does not focus on Laura and her family’s life. Instead, it is a book completely about Laura’s husband, Almonzo, and his childhood.
This book is rich in description of life in New York State in the mid to late 1800s. It is not about a pioneering family, like Laura’s other books are. This book is about Almonzo and his siblings growing up on a farm
Description:
While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the Western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits or, best of all, when the fair comes to town.
This is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved story of how her husband, Almanzo, grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived.
6. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
|| When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit||
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I have not read it with my daughter yet because she is extremely sensitive and I don’t really want to have to tell her about what happened during the Holocaust until she is a little bit older. The book is aimed at 5th grade and older so this one is a little bit out of the lower end of the age range of for this post.
It is very historically based since it is based on the true story of the author’s family and a great leap-off point to discuss the situations surrounding World War II.
Description:
Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn’t understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them?
Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind as her family embarks on a journey that extends over several years and over the borders of many countries.
Have you read any of these books to or with your children?
November 30, 2023
Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot
Welcome to another Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot hosted by Marsha in the Middle, Melynda from Scratch Made Food For Hungry People and me.
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving last week. We are back in session this week for our Weekend Traffic Jam. We are still looking for an extra host so let Marsha know if you are interested.
This is a post where you can link up any post about any topic as long as it is family-friendly. You can even dig into your archives to share.
The most clicked post for the week before last was:
My favorite posts include:
Getting Started Homeschooling by My Slices of Life.
I enjoyed this post because I am a homeschooling mom myself and I know how hard it can be to get started. Parents need all the advice they can get.
This post from Is This Mutton was perfectly true. There really aren’t any good “belly laugh” shows out there anymore and while she didn’t think it had all to do with political correctness (maybe some), I think that is the biggest reason no one can laugh anymore. They’re always afraid of who they will offend. Of course, everyone is also offended anymore. Like everyone.
I remembered a lot of the shows she remembers (Father Ted, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Keeping Up Appearances – all shows I have watched over the years and enjoyed).
That is my intro post for today. I hope you’ll share a link with everyone at the link up below.
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enterhttps://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7efComfy Cozy Christmas Movie Review: Beyond Tomorrow
This post is part of Comfy, Cozy Christmas, a feature that Erin with Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs suggested. You can find a link-up page at the top of the page and can link up your own holiday-related posts.
This week as I get ready for the Christmas season, I decided to look for Christmas movies from the 1930s and 1940s I’d never seen before. I scanned the list that came up after I typed “1930’s and 1940s Christmas movies” in the search bar and found one I hadn’t heard of, Beyond Tomorrow. It was also apparently called Beyond Christmas at one time.
I also found an article that listed several “forgotten Christmas movies” from that era and I plan to watch a couple more over the next three weeks.
Beyond Tomorrow was released in 1940. It was a bit quirky in some ways, but also very sweet. I’ll try not to summarize too much or give away too many spoilers so don’t fret if you haven’t seen it. I won’t tell you everything.
The movie starts with the story of three old men (Michael O’Brien, George Melton, and Allan Chadwick) who are living in the same house and looking back on their lives with some sadness and regret. They want to help others to make up for some of their regrets and we learn that they have given away wallets with money in them for Christmas.
We aren’t sure what war these men served in together – maybe World War I.
Whatever they did in the military holds both good and bad memories for them.
It’s never really explained why they living in a house with a woman who is called Madam Tanya who is clearly Russian and escaped her country during some war. A butler who escaped with her is also living there.
We learn about their lives a bit toward the beginning of the movie when she gives him an award that would have been an honor in their old country.
“Joseph, when I had jewels and land and purses, I was often greedy and discontent,” Madam Tanya says after she gives him the award. “When everything was taken away, except my life, I learned that the way to be really happy is to serve others, to be needed, so don’t be sorry for me or for what was lost.”
The household is a buzz as we begin the movie because it is Christmas Eve and some special visitors are coming for dinner. They are a couple who have traveled the world extensively and two of the men are excited but George, a rather morose fellow, is not happy because he isn’t happy about a lot it seems. In fact, when the movie opens he mumbles something about Christmas being a silly holiday and lifts up a piece of paper and says, “What the Dickens is this?”
When the couple eventually cancels later on, George blames himself and says it is because of some scandal he was involved in in his past.
It’s never really elaborated on what that was but the other men say they are sure it has nothing to do with that. Michael then suggests they take some of the extra wallets they handed out for charity, slide their cards inside with $10, and toss the wallets out the window onto the street and see if three honest people will pick them up and come back to the house to return them.
Whoever returns the wallets with the money in them will be invited to the dinner that is already ready for them.
George doesn’t think anyone will show up but eventually two people do.
First, we have James Houston (who I swear said John Houston when he was first introduced), a cowboy from Texas. He came to New York City for a rodeo and ended up staying around but will be heading back to Texas again soon.
Next, we have Jean Lawerence and when James Houston sees her he smiles and is clearly enchanted. Love at first sight.
The young couple agrees to stay for dinner and after dinner, James amazes everyone with his singing voice, especially Jean. As soon as he sings with that caroling group that stops by she has eyes only for him.
“I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair,” John sings right to Jean and she is mesmerized
Michael O’Brien is as well and gets very teary in one of the sweetest breakaways I’ve seen in a movie. He sincerely looked touched.
During a scene where everyone sings Jingle Bells, we see the diversity in the house from the Russian countess and butler, a German or Swedish maid and an Italian chef.
Before the couple parts ways, Jean invites the men and countess to come to the children’s hospital the next night to sing carols. Jean is a Kindergarten teacher and teaches and entertains the children while they recover.
Jean and Jim arrive early the next night and connect as they meet a horse belonging to one of the New York City officers.
Events develop from there, is all I’ll say, but tragedy strikes, which is something any description of the movie shares, so it is not a spoiler.
After the tragedy the movie becomes a bit of a supernatural movie with ghosts and dark clouds and voices from beyond the grave, but for very good reasons.
The movie was considered a “B-movie” at the time so it did not feature any big-name actors.
Veteran actors Harry Carey (real name), Charles Winniger, and C. Aubrey Smith starred in the movie, which was directed by A. Edward Sutherland.
All three men looked vaguely familiar to me. An article on the TCM site explained why each man might look familiar to some.
Wittinger, playing an Irishman, looked especially familiar to me.
According to TCM, “Charles Winninger’s cherubic face graced many a picture in his long career from 1915 to 1960, including Nothing Sacred (1937), Destry Rides Again (1939), and State Fair (1945). His best-known role, which he created on Broadway before playing in the first film version, was as Cap’n Andy in Show Boat (1936).”
Carey was originally a silent film star and would star in a John Ford film, Three Godfathers, in 1948.
Smith was a very well-known character actor. Films he would be known for include:
From the TCM article: “Already over 50 when he began his film career in 1915, his amazing longevity and ability to convey his specific type of stock character in a wide range of stories carried him through more than 100 pictures up to his last, at the age of 85, Little Women (1949). When he wasn’t busy standing up for the Empire in such films as Clive of India (1935) and The Four Feathers (1939), he could be seen supporting the likes of Katharine Hepburn in Morning Glory (1933), Jean Harlow in Bombshell (1933) and China Seas (1935), and Irene Dunne in the war melodrama The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), his upper lip stiff for another dark time in English history.”
The movie was not well received by critics in its time, but I found the movie heartwarming with many sweet and memorable moments and quotes.
I watched the movie for free on Tubi, but it is also free on YouTube and Plex and available for rent on many other streaming services.
Here are some of the other movies that are considered “lesser known” which I plan to pick one or two from to watch.
https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/lesser-known-classic-christmas-movies-from-the-1940s
Full movie:
November 28, 2023
What I love about December and Saying goodbye to November
I truly do not know how November went by so fast.
I know that many of us say that about every month but November really did fly by for me.
We had some activities, but for the most part it was a relaxing month.
We celebrated two birthdays, an anniversary and, of course, Thanksgiving.
We took a field trip at the beginning of the month to a reptile zoo, which Little Miss was thrilled about.
The Boy and I enjoyed it too, but she was just in heaven. I’m sure we will visit there again in the spring or summer.
We did schoolwork and while there were some of it we didn’t enjoy, we are learning a lot of new things from a variety of sources this school year, so that has offered us some more chances for fun than other years.
I am moving a little away from a strict curriculum for some subjects and focusing on reading books on the topics or doing more hands-on activities instead of paperwork.
That seems to be a lot more relaxing for both the kids and for me.
The Boy still has to do some paperwork, but Little Miss is doing a mix of paperwork with reading various non-fiction and fiction books and exploring more of the things she is interested in.
I plan for us to do some lessons on cooking in December and January for both Little Miss and The Boy.
Even with our oven broken, there are many other ways to cook and that would be something to teach the kids in case they ever move into a place that doesn’t have an oven.
My goal this year for homeschooling is to focus on life skills and things that they will need to know how to do in life in addition to academics.
I still feel like I am not doing enough with actual curriculum, but teaching with less strict curriculum and more freedom in how we learn seems to be benefiting the children’s desire to learn and their overall feeling about school in general.
We still continue to use the curriculum, of course. We are just not as strict on using it every day. Some days we allow reading, art, music, and exploring to be our educational guide instead.
In a couple more days we will be moving into December and I love December more than I used to.
I once dreaded December because I knew cold weather came with it. It officially kicks off a winter that usually lasts a couple of months here in Pennsylvania and sometimes even more.
But now I know that December is when we can make excuses to watch cozy movies, read books full of Christmas happiness, and tell people who want to know if I want to go out in the cold for some sort of cold activity that I have family commitments for the holidays when I really don’t and just want to stay in and drink cocoa and watch movies instead of attending whatever function they want me to.
I’m joking about that last part, of course. I don’t really lie to people. I’m middle-aged. I just tell them like it is: “I don’t want to go out in the cold because I’m old now and I don’t have to do things that I don’t want to. So there.”
Our house is already decorated for Christmas. The Husband (my silly “pet name” for my husband here on the blog only) decorates every year the day after Thanksgiving. I would probably wait until December to decorate otherwise, but it’s nice to start the happy movies and books early.
We only decorate inside because our neighbors go all out for Christmas. Everyone in town (of like 600) loves seeing their lights, but the people driving on the highway down the hill from our street also love it because you can see them from there. They aren’t at the level of one of my husband’s co-workers who has a huge display every year. It’s one of those displays where people almost have accidents looking at it and it’s on a busy street too.
I’ll have some more photographs of their display later on this month, I’m sure, but here are a couple photos I took last year for now:
The weekend after this upcoming weekend there is a holiday event and book sale at the local library which I am looking forward to. I have a couple classics I hope to find there. There is also a light display at the local fairgrounds either that weekend or the next that we plan to visit.
So, while December was once not as fun of a month for me (until we got to Christmas), I now like several things about it, including:
Colder weather that allows us to snuggle up under covers with a cup of cocoa or tea.Christmas movies and booksMy neighbor’s decorationsChristmas celebration and family timeChristmas events (like book sales!)Snow on our naked trees to make them look less depressing with no leavesFun things to cook or bakeWhat are you looking forward to in December? Let me know in the comments.
November 27, 2023
Comfy, Cozy Christmas Posts and invite for you to join in
Christmas creates such a warm, cozy, and relaxing feeling in me and I look forward to carving out time well before it every year just to immerse myself in those feelings.
Last year I watched movies, read books, and participated in a few Christmas-related activities in our community and made an effort to truly soak in the season. I withdrew from social media, choosing to read a book or watch a Christmas-themed YouTube video, show, or movie during that time. It was one of the most peaceful stretches of time because I made a concentrated effort to focus on joy.
It was a restorative month that came right before a period of a month of stress when my mom went into the hospital to have her gallbladder removed.
I am striving for that restorative month again and hopefully this time I won’t be met with stress on the other side.
As part of this month of comfy and coziness, I will be blogging about movies I watch, books I read, or Christmas activities I participate in. I plan to blog some about Christmas memories as well.
Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs is the one who came up with the idea to join up and blog about our Christmas-themed experiences this year. She then suggested we open a page on each of our blogs where everyone who wants to participate by writing their own Christmas-related post can link up and we can meet new bloggers and continue the cozy feelings. I loved both ideas and am so excited to participate! It will be a much-needed distraction from life!
We also both decided that the event would be open to people who celebrate other holidays this time of year, not only Christmas. Erin and I are fans of alliteration, however, so we stuck with the name Comfy, Cozy Christmas for the feature.
We do ask that only posts about the holiday season be added to the link.
You can find the link to the page for this fun feature at the top of the page or HERE.
That page is where you can add your links.
I hope to see some of your Christmas posts listed there!
November 26, 2023
Sunday Bookends: Winter temps have set in, The Spectacular, getting ready for Christmas movies
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
This week I’m joining up with Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer and Kathyrn at The Book Date.
What I/we’ve been Reading
This week I am continuing to read chapters before bed of Little Women. It’s such a cozy read.
I’m also reading The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. It is a mystery.
A description in case you are curious:
From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.
New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer.
Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling.
As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.
The Boy and I will be starting A Tale of Two Cities this week and I really hope I can make it through the old language because sometimes I am confused by it. Just being honest. I enjoy classic literature but sometimes the metaphors and allegory, etc. totally throw me off and I have to re-read a sentence more than once. I wouldn’t consider myself stupid (some might) but I don’t read classics all the time so it doesn’t come as easily for me as some.
The Husband finished an ARC of the next Joe Picket book and recently started another Fiona Davis book.
Little Miss and I will probably finish The Black Stallion this week and I’m not yet sure what we will read next. We are reading a book about a Native American girl for school but I can’t find it and forgot the name of it.
What’s Been Occurring
Cold temperatures are becoming the norm now as we move into winter, which means lighting or keeping the fire going in the woodstove is also becoming the norm. It also means that hot cocoa and hot tea are the norm.
I am very lucky that I have a husband who makes amazing tea for me with just the right amount of honey and a daughter who makes me the most amazing hot cocoa with just the right amount of maple syrup.
Those have been my treats to warm me up this week.
Last week was a relaxed week with the Thanksgiving holiday.
Monday we will be back doing schoolwork and back to Kid’s Club at the church and gymnastics for Little Miss. The Boy has an extra day off trade school, but goes back on Tuesday.
Photos from Last Week
Here are a few photos from our Thanksgiving.
What We watched/are Watching
I started watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman last week. It’s been fun to go back because I don’t remember most of the episodes or what happened, even though I watched them during junior high and high school.
We also watched some episodes of Doctor Who this week and the 60th anniversary special, which I don’t want to talk about. Ever. I’m not kidding.
I’ll stick with the old episodes.
Little Miss and I watched the first Paddington movie since we have been reading Paddington books off and on during the week.
This week I’ll be watching a couple of Christmas-themed movies or shows as Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs get read for Cozy Christmas, which you can find out more about in her post here:
https://crackercrumblife.com/2023/11/24/comfy-cozy-christmas/
I’ll be posting my own separate post about this later this week as well.
What I’m Writing
I’m working on Cassie this weekend and will be this upcoming week after finishing preparations to release Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage next Tuesday.
On the blog this week I shared:
Black Friday Book Sale and a Chance to Win Some Books Wednesday Afternoon Tea and Chat Eight cozy gifts for the reader in your lifeWhat I’m Listening To
This week I listened to Needtobreathe’s new album The Cave.
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
November 24, 2023
Black Friday Book Sale and a Chance to Win Some Books
I don’t like using my blog to promote myself or my books too much but today I did want to share that all of my Spencer Valley Chronicles ebooks are on sale starting today and going through November 27.
All four full-length novels are 99 cents and the Christmas novella (Beyond the Season) is free.
I have descriptions of each novel on the link called My Books at the top of the page or HERE.
You can order the books from that page or you can find links on Amazon HERE.
Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing is not on sale this week but it will be next week when I get ready to release Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage, which releases on December 5.
I also wanted to mention that The Apron Strings Book Series authors are holding a scavenger hunt where you can go to their websites and find clues that will give you the chance to win several gifts, including books by each author.
The Apron Strings Book Series is a Christian Fiction series that begins in January of 2024. A new book will be released each month throughout 2024 and will focus on the story of different women from each decade who are all connected by one cookbook.
I am writing a book for the series. Cassie will be released on August 15, 2024.
You can learn more about the series in our group on Facebook.
You can learn more about the Scavenger Hunt there and on author Amy Walsh’s website HERE.
I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving and have a wonderful weekend!
November 22, 2023
Wednesday Afternoon Tea and Chat
Flames are curling around the logs in my wood stove as I write this, creating a cozy, warm glow that we need as it is very cold and raining outside.
Tomorrow, temperatures are supposed to be higher and more manageable so we might not need a fire. By Thursday (Thanksgiving) night, we will be back to lighting the fire to keep the house warm.
Heating oil has been through the roof for two winters now so we have been glad to have a wood stove that heats much of the house and helps us cut down on that bill. We have electric heat upstairs so that helps some but this year the state deregulated electric so now that is also going up.
I don’t usually write share a tea and chat post in the middle of the week but this week I felt like I wanted to just chat with visitors to my blog.
Don’t worry, this isn’t an affiliate post, which you might be seeing more of from time to time here on the blog. I am not really a fan of affiliate posts, to be honest, but our family can use all the financial help it can get so I’ve decided to at least do a few a month. I doubt I will make anything, honestly, but I’ll never know if I don’t try.
That’s one thing I wanted to talk about in this post – to assure my regular readers that this blog isn’t going to become just an advertising blog. I will link to some products I like but they won’t all be affiliate links. Sometimes I just want to show you somewhere you can grab a copy of a book or a journal or find a movie I liked. I am working with a couple of different sites but many of the links I provide won’t be affiliate links – just informational ones.
And I won’t even link to products all the time. I don’t have time for all that, for one, but I also like just sharing for the fun of it and not to get something in return.
With that being said, I’m going to go back to rambling now.
Tonight I am watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman as I write this. I’m watching the Pilot episode which was a 90-minute movie first aired in 1993.
I used to watch this show every Saturday night when I was a teenager. It’s not holding up too bad – at least based on this pilot episode. Of course there would be people who would call it racist or cultural appropriation, or who knows what, these days, but for me it was one of the first show where I saw Native Americans portrayed as they are, not as stereotypes. It was a show that also showed the prejudice against them by white settlers and the army. It showed me that what our country did to the Native Americans was wrong and, in almost every way, unforgiveable.
I need the escape right now so I am sure I will continue watching it the rest of the week.
Life is heavy sometimes lately, right?
Like it isn’t just me?
So many people, including my family, are struggling financially. Where it was just a few here and there before, it’s not a lot of people around me and a lot of us are embarrassed to say anything.
An author friend and I finally had to admit to each other we are broke and can’t send out books for free or giveaways anymore. It feels good to be honest, even if I am embarrassed that I’m a grown woman who feels like I should be more financially secure at this point in my life.
Every time I feel like we are ahead, though, we get kicked back with either heating costs, things shutting down, rising food prices, or a doubling of our health insurance premiums.
I don’t want this post here to be too much of a downer, so I’ll say that even as I worry and we stress there are good moments too.
There are some successes and a lot of laughter and joy in our family.
Yesterday our daughter was talking to a friend on the phone and they were playing an online roleplaying game (safe one. I checked.). Little Miss said to her friend, “I just think you need to break up with him.”
The friend said back to her something like, “I will but messing with him is fun right now.”
God bless whomever that young lady dates later in life.
Little Miss was watching Bambi on her phone the other day and I quickly texted The Husband:
“Should I warn her about Bambi’s mom? I mean she about flipped out when she thought Chance was going to die in Homeward Bound. I should probably tell her.”
The Husband: “She has to grow up sometime. She’ll be fine.”
I look at her and it’s getting closer to the scene and I finally say, “Listen, about Bambi’s mom…”
“Yeah, Mom, I know. She dies. It’s fine.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, good, I’m glad you know.”
“I’m more upset that they have a man voice acting Flower’s voice.”
“You can’t enjoy the movie because a man is voice acting Flower? Not because Bambi’s mom died?”
“Yes.”
A quick Internet search later to double check I am right: “Honey, Flower is a boy. Bambi just called him Flower because he thought he was a flower. Also, his voice was done by three different male actors of different ages.”
She lets me know then it is fine that a male voice actor provided the voice and she can now enjoy the movie.
We are going to my parents tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. What are you doing? If you are in the United States and celebrate it, of course.
Whatever you do, I hope you have a good one. I’ll touch base again this weekend and see how it went.
November 21, 2023
Eight cozy gifts for the reader in your life
When I have an extended amount of time to read, there are a few things I like to have in hand before and while I settle down with my book of choice.
For example, I love to have a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and maybe some classical or jazz music playing softly in the background or through my earbuds.
Every reader is different so the reader in your life may have different preferences but here are eight cozy and comfy gift ideas for the reader in your life.
**This page contains affiliate links. I only recommend items that I love, actually use, have used in the past, know someone else has used, or want to use in the future.. Clicking the link does not mean that you will pay more for the item, only that I make a tiny commission if you make a purchase. Thank you so much! I really appreciate when you support my family..**
Tea mugs or cups with coversI love to sip tea while I am reading a book, but I really love to not have to keep getting up to warm up my tea. That’s when something like this item would come in handy:
Tea/Coffee Mug with LidIt is so cute, for one, plus that convenient lid. Love the idea! There are tons of items like this for sale right now on Amazon.
You can also find covers like these to add to a mug you already have:
Silicon Lids for cupsIf you don’t need or want a cover for your tea or cocoa, then this is a cute idea:
Bookmarks Are For Quitters Mug2. A cozy blanket or quilt
Another wonderful idea to go with that mug of tea, cocoa, or coffee is a beautiful, cozy blanket.
Oh my goodness. This blanket looks perfect to cuddle up under to read a good book and can go right in your gift basket for your reader.
|| Cozy Bliss Beige Checkered Throw Blanket Ultra Soft Warm||
Here is another option:
|| Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket for Couch ||
Oh and I love this one and especially the price (at least when I first posted it)
||Inhand Fleece Throw Blanket||
3. Fuzzy, warm socks
To go along with the blanket, you need some fuzzy socks. I would love these to put on on a cold winter night and cuddle in front of the fire in our woodstove with a good book and my tea.
|| 5 Pairs Women’s Wool Socks||
Some more socks that I love the look of! (not just saying that for this post. Ha!)
|| Loritta 5 Pairs Womens Wool Socks ||
4. Booklight
A good book light is very important if the lighting where you are isn’t super strong. I have a book light similar to this one here but this one has three settings, a timer, and comes with six magnetic bookmarks. I have some magnetic bookmarks from a different company and I really love them. They stay in place and don’t slip out like other, paper bookmarks.
The book light hooks easily onto the back or front of your book. It is also rechargeable and features a USB port that can be charged in a computer or by plugging into a block that plugs into a wall.
|| 2-Pack Reading Light with 6 Bookmark ||
5. Book-related stickers
Okay, these are not necessarily a need for a good reading session but they are a great gift for the reader in your life for the simple fact they are cute.
I love these stickers. I totally want them and they are perfect for the reader who also likes to journal, keep scrapbooks or stick stickers on various things for fun. This might be perfect for young readers as well.
|| 100 Pcs Book Stickers, Reading Stickers, Bookish ||
I also love these stickers:
6. Highlighters or book tabs
If your reader is a person who likes to mark their favorite passages in their favorite books but don’t want to mark up the pages with highlighters there are these:
|| Transparent Sticky Notes,Clear Waterproof 3 x 3 inch ||
7. Headphones/earbuds
I love to listen to jazz or classical music when I read and having a good pair of headphones or earbuds helps to keep the background noise out so I can just concentrate on reading.
|| JBL Tune Flex – True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds ||
I use this brand myself and love the variety they have.
|| JBL Endurance Race Waterproof True Wireless Active Sport Earbuds ||
And
|| BL1 JBL LIVE 300 – Premium True Wireless Headphone ||
8. Reading Journal
I love a good reading journal. I made one for myself but also love looking at ones pre-made. I haven’t picked one out yet but have a few in my wish list.
Here are a couple I picked:
|| Elegant Reading Journal – Review and Track Your Reading
Progress with 60 Book Reviews ||
Or
|| Book Journal – Reading Journals For Book Lovers ||
Those are some of my ideas for the readers in your family. Keep your eyes peeled (like not literally because … gross) because I plan to do another one of these. I have so many ideas for things I – ahem, I mean, readers would love to have.
Feel free to add the items you like to have when you are reading (besides a good book) in the comments.
Eight cozy gifts to fill a gift basket for the reader in your life
When I have an extended amount of time to read, there are a few things I like to have in hand before and while I settle down with my book of choice.
For example, I love to have a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and maybe some classical or jazz music playing softly in the background or through my earbuds.
Every reader is different so the reader in your life may have different preferences but here are eight cozy and comfy gift ideas for the reader in your life.
**This page contains affiliate links. I only recommend items that I love, actually use, have used in the past, know someone else has used, or want to use in the future.. Clicking the link does not mean that you will pay more for the item, only that I make a tiny commission if you make a purchase. Thank you so much! I really appreciate when you support my family..**
Tea mugs or cups with coversI love to sip tea while I am reading a book, but I really love to not have to keep getting up to warm up my tea. That’s when something like this item would come in handy:
Tea/Coffee Mug with LidIt is so cute, for one, plus that convenient lid. Love the idea! There are tons of items like this for sale right now on Amazon.
You can also find covers like these to add to a mug you already have:
Silicon Lids for cupsIf you don’t need or want a cover for your tea or cocoa, then this is a cute idea:
Bookmarks Are For Quitters Mug2. A cozy blanket or quilt
Another wonderful idea to go with that mug of tea, cocoa, or coffee is a beautiful, cozy blanket.
Oh my goodness. This blanket looks perfect to cuddle up under to read a good book and can go right in your gift basket for your reader.
|| Cozy Bliss Beige Checkered Throw Blanket Ultra Soft Warm||
Here is another option:
|| Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket for Couch ||
Oh and I love this one and especially the price (at least when I first posted it)
||Inhand Fleece Throw Blanket||
3. Fuzzy, warm socks
To go along with the blanket, you need some fuzzy socks. I would love these to put on on a cold winter night and cuddle in front of the fire in our woodstove with a good book and my tea.
|| 5 Pairs Women’s Wool Socks||
Some more socks that I love the look of! (not just saying that for this post. Ha!)
|| Loritta 5 Pairs Womens Wool Socks ||
4. Booklight
A good book light is very important if the lighting where you are isn’t super strong. I have a book light similar to this one here but this one has three settings, a timer, and comes with six magnetic bookmarks. I have some magnetic bookmarks from a different company and I really love them. They stay in place and don’t slip out like other, paper bookmarks.
The book light hooks easily onto the back or front of your book. It is also rechargeable and features a USB port that can be charged in a computer or by plugging into a block that plugs into a wall.
|| 2-Pack Reading Light with 6 Bookmark ||
5. Book-related stickers
Okay, these are not necessarily a need for a good reading session but they are a great gift for the reader in your life for the simple fact they are cute.
I love these stickers. I totally want them and they are perfect for the reader who also likes to journal, keep scrapbooks or stick stickers on various things for fun. This might be perfect for young readers as well.
|| 100 Pcs Book Stickers, Reading Stickers, Bookish ||
I also love these stickers:
6. Highlighters or book tabs
If your reader is a person who likes to mark their favorite passages in their favorite books but don’t want to mark up the pages with highlighters there are these:
|| Transparent Sticky Notes,Clear Waterproof 3 x 3 inch ||
7. Headphones/earbuds
I love to listen to jazz or classical music when I read and having a good pair of headphones or earbuds helps to keep the background noise out so I can just concentrate on reading.
|| JBL Tune Flex – True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds ||
I use this brand myself and love the variety they have.
|| JBL Endurance Race Waterproof True Wireless Active Sport Earbuds ||
And
|| BL1 JBL LIVE 300 – Premium True Wireless Headphone ||
8. Reading Journal
I love a good reading journal. I made one for myself but also love looking at ones pre-made. I haven’t picked one out yet but have a few in my wish list.
Here are a couple I picked:
|| Elegant Reading Journal – Review and Track Your Reading
Progress with 60 Book Reviews ||
Or
|| Book Journal – Reading Journals For Book Lovers ||
Those are some of my ideas for the readers in your family. Keep your eyes peeled (like not literally because … gross) because I plan to do another one of these. I have so many ideas for things I – ahem, I mean, readers would love to have.
Feel free to add the items you like to have when you are reading (besides a good book) in the comments.
