Sometimes Santa needs some help.....

It's that time of year again.......

Christmas shopping!!!

I love Christmas. I love giving. But I am really developing a hate for Christmas shopping. Wanna know why?

Because of all the crowds....At the mall. And Target. And Kohl's. And Toys R Us.

(You get my point.....)

So, being the helpful sort that I am, I thought I would offer you an alternative--a way to avoid the madness and frustration and overspending that accompanies traditional Christmas shopping.

I sell children's books.

ONLINE.

So you can shop in your pjs after the kids are in bed. You can even buy books and send them to all the children in your life, without having to go to the post office. :-) Don't thank me now though....wait until you find all of the fabulous unique gifts and wrap them up. Then you can express your appreciation for my help.

Check out our Christmas sets, as well as all of the other great books and products we sell on a regular basis! And each week until Christmas, I will feature one or two of my favorite items on ToddlerWorld and give a short review.

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Enjoy Christmas shopping, whether it is on my site or not!
But I still think my way is much less stressful....... :-)

A kid at heart is GOOD, right?

So I was just wondering......

It is bad that I am just as excited about Olivia being on t.v. as my kids are and that I watched the whole show today, after DVRing it?

It means I am a thoughtful, caring mother, in tune with the lives and interests of my children, right? Right???!!!!
(Or does it mean I have been stuck in the house with children under the age of 7 way too long ?)


Also, do I appear childish to others if I mention how I can hardly wait to get these new books in my next Usborne shipment?




I just needed some reassurance.

From some adults.......

(.....not from my 4 year old who thinks that I would "look cute in piggytails". )

Shop til you drop! (in your pajamas.....ahhh.)

Starting tomorrow, Toddler World will be hosting a Holiday Shop-o-Thon.

If you need last-minute Christmas gifts for your family or friends,
look no further!

I am running a sale over at my Usborne site, Sarah's Bookshelf.....when you order, click on "Sarah's show" so it credits to the holiday sale. If you order $40 or more, leave a comment on here with your email and I will send you a free Christmas story book!

And......my friend, Chastity, will also be holding a sale over on her blog. She just started a business~~Sweet Bella~~and makes adorable flower hairbows for little girls. If you need a little extra something for the sweet girls on your list, these would be perfect! Stop by and check them out! Just leave her a message if you would like to order some.....she will do them in custom colors for you! :-)

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Because it is Friday, I am going to list my five favorite Usborne books. This was a hard task, since I love most of them!--but these are the 5 that I always buy for gifts or for my own kids.

Top Five Usborne Favorites at ToddlerWorld:

1) That's Not My.....series (I love em all! They are so fun and my kids love to read them and touch them.)

2) Big Book of Fairy Things to Make and Do

3) The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales (It has the most charming pictures.....)

4) See Inside Castles (I love flap books.....probably as much as my kids do! :-)

5) A Squirrel's Tale ("There's A Mouse About the House" is actually my favorite, but due to its immense popularity, it is out of stock right now. :-( This one is 2nd best though....)

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If you need gift ideas for specific people, leave me a comment here or email me. There are topics for every reading level and every interest. Even cool craft books for teacher gifts!

And what an easy way to shop......in your pajamas. :-)

Mommy's little helpers

I don't know about your children, but my kids go stir-crazy in the winter. I guess it all depends on your area of the country....in the Midwest though, it is almost impossible to be outside during the winter (especially this winter!) for more than a few minutes. And in our small town, there is virtually nothing for kids to do indoors.
I say "virtually"--I should not complain because our city does have a family center that runs free playgroups and open gyms during the winter. But that means I have to bundle them all up, load them in the car, unload and unswath them, etc., etc. And as has been stated on this blog before, I am lazy! :-)

Speaking of lazy, I fall short in the "creative mommy" department as well. Even though I have an early childhood degree, I am too lazy to come up with fun projects and activities to do with the girls. Sad, I know.....but honesty counts for something, doesn't it???

So, when Usborne started selling these activity cards, I was very excited! There are a variety of topics to fit your child's interests/age level and the projects are very easy to do. (Which is essential, in my lazy mind....) Each card is printed on heavy-duty, acid free, cardstock weight paper--for those of you whose books go through the ringer. :-) They come in a convenient little box, and each card has a picture of the project on the front.
These activity cards are also great for teachers who need simple rainy day or "fill some time" projects. School-age children can pick a card and do the project or activity by themselves, if they have access to the proper supplies.

If you need a few minutes of peace from "Mommy, I'm boooored!" comments, check these packs out. They may be the help you need to keep your kids
busy and creative!

The weather outside is frightful.....

...but a good book is so delightful!
We got dumped on yesterday, and were stuck in the house all day long. It was wonderful though--Daddy didn't have to go to work--so we lounged around the house and enjoyed being together.
The girls and I had built a cute little snowman the day before.......now he looks a little different. :-)

Our snowman reminded me of one of my favorite Usborne books, "That's Not My Snowman" (from the series previously mentioned). These books are great for babies up through toddlers. They are full of sensory items, and each page has a little mouse "hiding" on it for the child to find. Littlest E loves this book, and I can always soothe his grumpiness by bringing it out. :-)

Another book (from another series that I LOVE) is "The Snowy Day" by Anna Milbourne. She does a great job of teaching kids about a specific topic, while making it seem like a story. The illustrations are beautiful--my girls love to read the other two books from the series, On the Moon and The Rainy Day.

What books do you like to curl up with on a wintery day? (If you don't have a favorite, I know just where to find one.....!)

We have a winner, folks!

I am proud to announce that Karma, from BootieBaby, is the winner of my Usborne book giveaway. She will be receiving a book from one of my favorite series~~
"That's Not My ....".

Congrats, Karma! (Make sure you check out her blog--she sells some fun kids' clothing!) And to those of you who didn't win......I will definitely be participating in the next Bloggy Giveaway contest! Thanks for checking out my site. Now you know where to shop for fun kid's books!!! :-)

Today's the day!!!

Today starts the Bloggy Giveways carnival, which I am thrilled to be a part of for the FIRST time! I can hardly wait to look at all of the other fun blogs, giving away cool things. After you check out my website and leave a comment to win one of my fabulous books, don't forget to go back and check out all of the other fun giveaways~!

Here is how mine will work:

~Go to my website, Sarah's Bookshelf, and pick a $10 book (or books adding up to $10).
~Then leave a comment on my blog, telling me the title of the book(s) that you would pick if you win.

~Make sure you leave your blog name (with a place where I can find your email address). If you don't have a blog, just leave an email address where I can reach you.

~The contest will end on Feb. 1, 2008 (Friday) at 12:00midnight. I will pick a winner and post the results on Saturday sometime.

~This contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents. I will ship your book to you next week!

(While browsing my bookshelf, make sure you enter the drawing on my site for $50 in free books! And if you want to host an e-show, let me know. It is so easy and so fun!!)

HAPPY CONTEST-ING! I can hardly wait to see who wins!!

Who couldn't use a little publicity?

You all need to head over to Bloggy Giveways and enter the blog carnival she is setting up at the end of the month. I go on her site almost every day, and enter all of the contests, hoping to win something great. :-) But even if I don't, it is fun to see all of the other bloggers that comment and "cruise" when I have the time.
I will be giving away a fun Usborne book (just to entice any of you!~) ......what can you find to give away? I know Sara has some pictures lying around that I would LOVE to win!
Let the giveaways begin!!!!!!

Curling up with a good book....

I have been working at a daycare for the past year, and it has been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I could take the kids with me and have them close all morning, a curse because I was trying to raise other people's children for 4 hrs and not paying attention to my own. The girls have come to dread going with me every day, and I can see it playing out in their behavior. So, long story short--after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to quit. And to help make up that money, I am trying to start up my book business again.
I do not intend to use this blog to propagate business for myself, but in order to get started up again, I am hitting all of my avenues. If you need books for homeschool or want to get started on Christmas shopping, I have set up an "e-show" on my website:
1) Go to www.sarahsbookshelf.com
2) Click on the e-show under my name (it's on the right side)
3) Order through that site--it will come straight to your house!
(And whoever orders the most will receive a free book of their choice (max. $15 value)--I will mail it to you after the show is closed!)
No pressure, but if anyone wants good, educational books for your kids--I would recommend these--ha! Email me if you want to know about any of the products. (oregongirl77@ charter dot net). Happy shopping!!!

Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore? ~Henry Ward Beecher~

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents. ~Emilie Buchwald~