Sands Hetherington's Blog, page 2

4 Easy Ways To Become a Reader

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Now that we’ve almost made it through January, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? One resolution I know many of my friends and family made in 2019 is to trade in their phone time for time spent curled up with a good book. For some, reading brings them back to their childhood days when cell phones didn’t yet exist and they had ample free time, while others simply want to learn new things and be better informed. Whatever your reason, here are some tips that will help you in the pursuit to making reading part of your daily routine!

Read books you enjoy. I don’t know where the idea came from that we have to read what everyone else is reading on order for it to truly count, but the only way you’re going to make it through an entire book is if you enjoy what you’ve chosen to read. If you’re not into classics, you don’t have to read them, and if you’re not into mystery novels, don’t pick one up. There’s always something to be said for trying new things, but if you know you won’t make time to read when you’re not enjoying the story, stick with reading only what you love!

Carry a book or Kindle with you at all times. We don’t all have the luxury of setting aside an hour or two every day to get our reading in, but we most likely have random portions of the day when we aren’t doing anything (and usually during those times, we end up pulling out our phones). Next time you’re in a waiting room or find yourself in between meetings, pull out your book instead! You might only get five minutes here and there, but the minutes stack up. Before you know it, you’ll realize you’ve finished another book!

Go to the library, used book stores, or trade books with friends and family. Don’t let a financial block keep you from developing a reading habit—there are plenty of ways to find cheap or free books. I know, the price tags in your local Barnes and Noble seem steep, so save those buys for when you’re dying to read something you can’t find anywhere else!

Schedule reading time into your morning or night routine. So many of us stare at our phones or tablets as soon as we wake up or before we fall asleep at night, but studies have proven how this can add stress or interrupt regular sleep patterns. Instead, make reading in the morning or before bed part of your routine, and see your stress levels and your sleep improve tenfold while you achieve you resolution to read more!

How do you incorporate reading time into your day? Let me know in the comments below!

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Bring in 2019 With These Favorite Books!

We are almost to the end of 2018! Whether this year was filled with joy, hardship, or a mix of everything in between, what I love most about the closing of one year and the beginning of the next is how we are able to reflect, leave the past behind, and start over again. And in my opinion, there’s no better way to start a new year than with a new book!

These books will have your child feeling excited and optimistic for what 2019 has in store. Check them out!

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution, by Pat Miller

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“Squirrel knows that New Year’s Day is a great day for making resolutions! But what does it mean to make a resolution, anyway? As she makes visits around the forest she learns about New Year’s resoltions and helps her friends get started on theirs. If only she can think of a resolution of her very own…”

Sylvester and the New Year, by   Eduard Mörike

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“One New Year’s Eve during a walk through crisp, deep snow, a father tells his young daughter the heart-warming story of Sylvester, who sleeps all year and only awakens for one very special day. Follow Sylvester and his silver moon horses on their annual journey through all the stars of the Milky Way.”

Cecil’s New Year’s Eve Tail, by Marie Fritz Perry

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“When Cecil the snake is invited to a New Year’s Eve ball in New York City, his insecurities almost prevent him from enjoying the evening with his friends. Along the way, he learns an important lesson about acceptance and friendship.”

New Clothes for New Year’s Day, by  Hyun-joo Bae

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“The New Year is the start of everything new…Follow a young Korean girl as she dresses and prepares for celebrating the Lunar New Year.”

Do you have any resolutions for 2019? Let me know what they are in the comments!

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Christmas Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love!

Christmas is just around the corner, and you know what that means…desserts on desserts! And here at the Night Buddies Headquarters, we believe there is one dessert that tops all others…cheesecake! These recipes will have you (and Crosley) going back for seconds AND thirds.

Festive New York Style Cheesecake

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Topped with Christmas candies and chocolate syrup, this delicious cheesecake is bound to please even the pickiest eaters at your party!

Cranberry Celebration Cheesecake

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Cranberries are all the rage during the holidays. You can use them to decorate your garland, make a delicious cranberry sauce, or to spice up your classic cheesecake recipe. This is definitely a favorite!

Christmas Cheesecake with Soaked Fruits

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This cheesecake has it all—cinnamon, almonds, nutmeg…the holiday works! When you want that classic Christmas flavor, this is definitely the cheesecake to go for.

Christmas Cheesecake with English Toffee Filling

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This cheesecake is rich and candy-filled…with just enough chocolate to make it a delectable holiday treat.

Crushed Peppermint Cheesecake

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Last, but certainly not least, you can’t let the holidays pass without turning everything into a peppermint treat—and this recipe is one of the best! Not only do you top it with delicious crushed candy canes, but it has an Oreo crust you’ll dream about through the rest of next year.

What is your favorite holiday treat? Let me know in the comments!

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A Book Lover’s Christmas Gift Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And along with that comes the difficult task of picking out the perfect gifts for the people you love. I’m here to make it easy on you this year with the ultimate book lover’s Christmas gift guide for any book lover of any age on your list!

For the one who loves ambiance

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These soy candles are perfect to light when you want to immerse yourself in the world of your favorite book. Between Alice in Wonderland and Sherlock Holmes, there’s a choice for every taste!

For the reader who doesn’t want to be disturbed

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These socks are cozy to wear, and send the perfect message when you’re in the middle of the best part of your book.

For the reader on the go

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Because nothing goes better with a good book than a good cup of coffee (or tea).

For the one with a green thumb

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The perfect planter to add to a library, side table, or on top of your dozens of other books.

For the one with empty walls to fill

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What better way to decorate your home than with evidence of your book-loving soul?

For the jewelry lover

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Simple, classic, and holds the photo of the ones you love most…books!

For the one looking for a story to get lost in

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Of course there’s no better gift for a book lover than…a book of course! If you have a child in your life who wants to get swept up in a fun story, take advantage of this deal now. You’ll get all three Night Buddies books for only $18!

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Cyber Monday Book Deals You Don’t Want to Miss!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and that means the time for shopping great deals has arrived! You can find Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals almost anywhere, but I’ve scrounged up some of the best sales for book lovers to save you time on your search this year. Happy shopping!

Barnes and Noble, the biggest retailer of books in the US is offering 20% off online and 25% off in-store deals through November 25th. Don’t forget to stop by and check out their selection—I guarantee you’ll be able to find what you want!

If you’re looking to subscribe to any magazines this year, you have to check out this website. They list all the major deals on everything from Highlights to The New Yorker.

Amazon is offering a major sale for Cyber Monday on their Kindle Paperwhites. You get the E-reader, a leather cover, and a power adapter all for $60 off! These can hold thousands of books, make traveling easy and convenient, and don’t strain your eyes like a typical screen would. A book lover’s dream!

Out of Print is offering a buy one, get one deal on their book lover’s T-shirts! They offer all kinds of book covers, funny quotes only a book lover can truly appreciate, and Harry Potter references galore. Not to mention, they’re super soft and comfortable to wear!

Have you found any great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals so far this year? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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Tips to Help You Conquer NaNoWriMo 2018!

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It’s the first week of November, and if you’re like hundreds of other writers around the world you know what that means…you’re six days closer to finishing your next book!

The first week of NaNoWriMo tends to pass by in a whirlwind of excitement and adrenaline, but the key is to stay motivated even after the excitement fades. If you want to write 50,000 words by the end of the month, here are my tips to help you come out a winner!

Make an outline. When you have to write close to 2,000 words every day, you don’t have the time to spend figuring out what should happen next in your novel. The more detailed a plan you have before you start, the better chances you have to not get stuck in the middle of writing.

Tell your friends. Taking on NaNoWriMo is no small undertaking. The more people you tell, the less you have to explain why you’re choosing to stay at home writing instead of going out to dinner/drinks/movies with them. Plus having that extra accountability will keep you pushing toward your end goal.

Make a schedule. Most of us don’t just have extra time in our schedules to spend an hour (or a few hours) a day writing—you’re going to have to make that time. Plan writing into your schedule so that you never have to wonder if or when you’ll have time in a given day to write. Keep things like Thanksgiving, weekend trips you have planned, and any other commitments you can’t push around in mind. There will be a day you absolutely can’t squeeze writing time into, but that doesn’t mean you will fail. Look for less busy days to double up your word counts and keep on track.

Make it fun. If you love the story you’re writing, you are more likely to want to get back into it every day. Don’t write something you think would sell, you think your parents or friends would enjoy, or something you feel obligated to write about. Write for you. Write for fun. Make a cozy and enjoyable routine around writing, whether that means going to your favorite coffee shop for a holiday drink or lighting a candle and writing by your fireplace. When writing becomes your happy place, you’ll want to keep on going even after November is finished.

Are you signed up for NaNoWriMo 2018? Let me know in the comments below!

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Spooky Halloween Reads Guaranteed to Get You In the Spirit!

As hard as it may be to believe…Halloween 2018 is almost upon us! As you well know, my favorite way to get in the spirit for any holiday is to immerse myself in some excellent themed reads. This year, I’m giving you the best, spookiest, Halloween-festive reads for you and your kids!

For the kids:

Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman

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When a witch grows a pumpkin so large she can’t cut it off the vine, she has to enlist her host of spooky friends to help. Otherwise how will they make this year’s pumpkin pie?!

The Spooky Wheels on the Bus, by J. Elizabeth Mills

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A spinoff of “the wheels on the bus,” this tale of a haunted bus ride is sure to become a children’s classic!

Halloween Hustle, by Charlotte Gunnufson

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Are you throwing a Halloween party for the kids this year? Then I recommend you go out and buy this book ASAP. Set to a funky beat, this book is all you need to get the party started!

For adults:

Dracula, by Bram Stoker

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You’ve definitely heard of him, but have you ever actually read this classic novel? It’s one of my favorites to pick up around this time of year—well written, entertaining, and definitely spooky!

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

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While the TV show created based on this book has gotten wildly popular over the past few weeks, known for being so scary it makes viewers physically sick, this 1959 novel is just as good—and not quite as scary to read as it is to watch!

The Shining, by Stephen King

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If you think Jack Nicholson is scary in the film, just wait until you read the story itself. Full of strange and frightening twists, there’s a reason this book became so famous. Just make sure you’re not alone when you pick it up!

 

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? Let me know in the comments!

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How I Went from Being a Stay-At-Home Dad to an Award-Winning Author

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For those of you who don’t know my story of turning from a stay-at-home dad to an award-winning author, I wrote all about it at the Good Men Project! Check it out!

When my son John was born, I didn’t expect to become a stay-at-home father. I didn’t know any other dads who stayed at home to take care of their kids most of the time. I didn’t grow up with a stay-at-home father, and the concept of being a man who changed his job description from a solid 9-5 to being a single homemaker was not something I ever envisioned.

But then John came around, my wife and I soon divorced, and there I was with full-custody of a young boy who needed someone to stay home and look after him. I didn’t know it yet, but I had just entered the greatest time of my life.

As a stay-at-home father, I felt like two different people. Half of the time I spent with John I felt like a kid again. John and I did everything together, went everywhere together, and were about as inseparable as any two friends can be. During the summers we drove through forty-eight states and five Canadian provinces.  We participated in all kinds of father-son activities: little league football, basketball, and baseball, as well as boxing, golf, boating, camping . . . the sky was the limit, and I loved seeing the smile on that boy’s face when he got lost in doing something he loved.

John got his first puppy, a St. Bernard he named Henry, and we loved him so much that I began breeding St. Bernards. Most of the memories I have of John’s youth are of our adventures, his laughter, and the feeling that I was getting to experience life through a child’s eyes for a second time. But the reality of being a stay-at-home father and raising a child by myself wasn’t always idyllic.

There was the time I arrived to pick him up at the movies when he was ten, and the theatre he had gone in was dark and deserted. He was nowhere to be found. When I finally got hold of security, we turned the lights on and found him sunk down in one of the seats, asleep and quite unaware of the panic he had caused.

There was the time when his kindergarten French teacher told me John probably had a learning disability because he was having trouble in her class. Now he speaks ten languages and has an M.A. from Edinburgh University with honors in Russian and German—and wouldn’t I love to tell all this to that teacher!

There were the six years of piano lessons that were like ripping out my fingernails just to get him to practice, until we finally threw in the towel.

There was trying to be both mother and father, parent and friend, teacher and student. I had no examples to follow, no comrade to turn to on the hard days, no office to escape to when watching Sesame Street for the hundredth time made me think I might actually be going crazy.

But those hard days are nothing compared to the good stuff.

Sitting side-by-side on cross-country trips, lots of sports honors, tons of academic awards, a year in Germany and learning German, but best of all, reading stories at night before John went to sleep. In fact, being a stay-at-home father led me to my current occupation as a children’s book author.

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It was essential to me that John be exposed to literature and the pleasure of reading from Day One, so I stocked up on children’s stories, from Grimm, Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, and Roald Dahl, eventually to the likes of Dickens and Victor Hugo. But one night when he was about seven, I suggested that he ought to create his own bedtime companion to keep him company while he slept—from there, the main character of my children’s series, Night Buddies, was created.

Many nights John and I made up stories involving him and this bedtime companion, a red crocodile named Crosley, until Crosley became another member of our little family. John always held onto his love for reading, and when he grew up and started traveling the world, creating new adventures for himself, I turned my memories of the little guy I once looked after, and his goofy buddy Crosley, into a book series that I would be able to hold in my hands. Because in all honesty, being a stay-at-home father was the best job I’ve ever had—I don’t want to forget a thing about it. And given the chance, I would do it all over again.

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Books That Will Get You Feeling Cozy for Fall!

Tomorrow is officially the first day of fall, and you know what that means…Halloween movies, fall-scented candles, and pumpkin spiced everything! But my favorite part of of this time of year is getting to break out some of my favorite books. There’s something about reading a comforting book as the weather starts to turn colder that gets me into the mood for fall! If you or your little one is looking for a book to get you in the spirit, try one of these.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

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This sweet story is about a leaf who isn’t yet ready to fall off his tree. According to the description, “This is a story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown—and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.”

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

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In this book, a little girl walks around her town noticing all the changes in the world that come with the transition from summer to fall. You’ll fall in love with her, and feel as excited as she is to welcome in a new season!

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

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The reason to read this book is truly for its brilliant, artful layout. It follows the story of Leaf Man, who blows wherever the wind takes him, never able to know where he’ll be next. The illustrations are made from real fall leaves—you’ll be blown away!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro

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A spinoff from the classic There Was An Old Lady series, this is a fun and silly book that’ll have your children in fits of giggles.

What are some of your favorite books to read during the fall? Let me know in the comments below!

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How to Come Up with Stellar Bedtime Stories…Every Single Night!

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Sharing bedtime stories with your child is an important nighttime ritual for many parents. In fact, research has shown that children of parents who tell bedtime stories show increased brain activity, particularly in vocabulary and logic skills. Those skills will serve as the foundation for making them a better reader for the rest of their lives.

But trust me…I know that coming up with a bedtime story for your child EVERY night can be a little overwhelming. You can only read the same books so many times before your child gets bored. You can only talk about the same characters (princesses and superheroes) for so long. So what do you do when your child asks for a story and your mind goes blank?

Put your child in the story. Whether it’s princesses or superheroes (or superhero princesses), allowing your child the opportunity to be in the story stretches their thinking muscles and enhances their linguistic skills. It also gives the chance to develop and enhance another muscle, their imagination.

Put your child in the storyteller’s seat. Asking your child to retell a story back to you gives you (the master storyteller) a break. It also allows them to practice another important skill—memory. Because children remember what they believe is important, allowing your child to tell the story gives you a front row seat into what your child values.

Take an old  story and add a unique spin to it. This is an old trick that storytellers have always used. Take an old story that everyone knows like “Red Riding Hood” and reimagine it. What if Red Riding Hood could fly? What if Jack didn’t climb the beanstalk, and chose to take the elevator instead?

Storytelling should always be fun and interactive. Put these tips to use, and you’ll become a bedtime hero! And don’t forget to let me know how your stories turned out in the comments.

 

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