Book Review - a new flavor

Hi all!

I'm coming at you today with a very different sort of book review. Normally, I'm a fiction hound. I mean, if there's a story to disappear into, why would I stay in reality? OK, maybe that's a little extreme, but you understand.

Today I'm writing to tell you about an amazing book about to hit the shelves. Memory Making Mom by Jessica Smartt. (Yes, that's how she spells it, not a typo). Before you tune out because you don't have little kids, hear me out. This stuff matters even if you don't have kids. It matters for adult kids. It matters for grand kids. Yes, this author writes as a mother of young children, but she talks about making memories because memories hold the power to bind us together as families, friends, and neighbors. 

The prose is easy to read and the author is super vulnerable, describing her failures right along with her victories. And she's funny too. (You have to read about the Christmas tree, PVC pipe, and fishline. She does not make the reader feel like her life should be pinterest-y, but she does give us small things we can do to make a large impact on the people we love.

I hope you'll check this book out and scoot over to Amazon for preorder (here). Yes, it's not quite available (Mar 5! Less than 2 weeks!), but the pre-order is genius. It actually arrives at your door the day of release or sometimes a day early. :-)

This book is the PERFECT gift for any young mother you know . . . especially with Mother's Day coming up quicker than you think! It's an amazing gift for a grandmother of young kids. It's also a great book for anyone wanting to make memories with the ones they love, chock full of ideas, and backed up with the reasons why going the extra mile is worthwhile. For more info and pre-order bonuses, check out the website here.

So there you go. It's not fiction. But this book addresses the story you are living. What's your favorite family memory from the last year? Mine? Grilling pizzas on the back porch in the cold, with a fire going to keep us warm, with all my kids home, laughing our heads off together. 

Jennifer Fromke writes from North Carolina, where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 26 years have raised three Southern-ish children despite their best efforts. Jennifer reviews books at www.Shetalksbooks.com and she offers a free story download on her website: https://www.jenniferfromke.com/contact/.

5 Ways to Keep Kids Occupied on Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

I hope tomorrow brings you much joy and laughter as you celebrate all that God has given you. 

One of the many blessings that I have, is a whole troop of little people in my family. My young siblings, my cousin's kids (who are almost like nieces and nephews), will be joining us tomorrow for Thanksgiving Dinner. I've been working on a few games to keep them entertained while the adults enjoy coffee and pumpkin pie, and I thought I would share a few of them with ya'll in case you also have young'uns attending your festivities.

1) Thankful Birdie

This one is pretty easy and so it will work for kids old enough to talk, up to the eldest of us. All you have to do is get a badminton birdie and draw a turkey face on it. The kids sit in a circle, duck-duck-goose style. You toss the birdie to one kid, they will say one thing they are thankful for, then toss it to someone else. Each child says something they are thankful for before tossing it to someone else.

Speaking of duck-duck-goose, you can also play Duck-Duck-Turkey. ;)

2) The Turkey Trot

This is a fun game I found on Pinterest, and I am SO excited to do this one. It should be pretty funny, especially if I can get some of the teen to young-adult kids to play. You set up an obstacle course. The kids pair up into two-person teams. Each team will stand back-to-back and link elbows. (This makes it sort of like a three-legged race.) You give each team a ball (or in our case a Styrofoam pumpkin). They must then navigate the obstacle course and then toss a ball into the goal.

3) Ad-Lib Skit

This is an idea that comes from Youth Camp days. The director will read the skit, and the randomly selected participants must act out what is being read. This can become pretty comical, depending on those involved. I'm going to do the Bible story of the Seven Lepers this year.

4) Pumpkin Hunt

I did this one for the kids last year as well and it was a total hit! I take two or three of those small, decorative pumpkins and hide them in the yard. The kids run around trying to find them. The first kids to find it get a prize. Think Easter egg hunt, but with pumpkins instead.

5) Feather Race

This is another new one for me this year, but it promises to be entertaining. Place small feathers on a smooth surface, such as a hardwood floor, or a big table. Put a box at the other end, tipped up to be the goal. Kids must use turkey basters to blow the feathers into the goal. Child with the most points at the end of the time allotted wins!

What tricks do you use to keep little ones occupied (Ahem, out of the kitchen) on Thanksgiving Day?