Jumpin-Beans

FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. F is for Feelings is a great book that we recently received for review.  Free Spirit Publishing has pulled through again and I think that this is a perfect book for my son as he is just starting Kindergarten. Why now?  Well, he is still coming into his own person... even more so now that he has started "big kid school"  and it actually has opened up conversation for us. F for Feelings goes through the entire alphabet and gives a colorful illustration of the feeling being discussed.  Each feeling comes with one or two sentences to explain the feeling... "A is for AFRAID.  I am scared."    - We were able to talk about when he was afraid and how that feeling moved into another ...

FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. This Morning Sam Went to Mars   tells the story of eight-year-old Sam, who is always daydreaming about exploring space and the deepest seas, which is awesome—except when he’s supposed to be focusing on homework or in class. It seems like all he hears is, “Focus, Sam!” and “Pay attention!” The doctor says Sam is lucky: He has a very powerful brain! But he does need some help focusing. She gives Sam and his dad lots of strategies to try, like staying organized, eating better food, and asking for help when he needs it. Sam’s favorite strategy? Make time to exercise his imagination! This Morning Sam Went to Mars  is written and illustrated by Nancy Carlson. Through the character of Sam, the book offe...

FTC Compliant Review Policy:  The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I told you I would be back with the other 2 books that Elizabeth Verdick has released in her Happy Healthy Baby Series !  Books 3 and 4 are Reach and Eat!  Right now, you can purchase the first 4 books in the series for only $25.16.  I am not sure how long that is going to last... so head on over and grab it now!) Wiggly baby on the floor. What is baby reaching for?  Celebrate the many ways that babies reach out to discover and learn about the world around them. With lively rhyming text and vivid photos of babies in action, this book is sure to engage babies and grown-ups alike. A great baby board book for floortime or anytime! Every day, in every way, babies eat. From bottles...

FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. We have loved working with Free Spirit Publishing and with that, we have several books by Elizabeth Verdick...  ( Toddler Tools and Best Behavior Series)  Well, Elizabeth has done it again!!!  She has recently released The Happy Healthy Baby Series !!  (The current deal is to buy all 4 books for $25.16.  I am not sure how long this will last, so you might want to grab them now for a baby gift down the road!) Up first? Books 1 & 2 : Move and Cuddle. Amazing babies are on the move in this lively board book that celebrates all the joyful ways babies propel themselves and interact with the world.  Push, baby, push! Look how strong you are. Climb, baby, climb! You are goin...

I need to start this post by saying a HUGE thank you to Elena over at Free Spirit Publishing. I love blogging and I love reading other blogs.  I was talking to a friend about "stranger danger" and I thought for sure that I should look to see what Free Spirit had to offer.  To be honest with you, I have no clue how to talk to that about Broxton. I mean, I want my son to be friendly and sociable... BUT, I DO NOT want anything to happen to him.  That also means I do not want him to be scared of people, but I don't want him to trust too much... Know what I mean? Having worked with Elena before, I emailed her about the book, I Can Play It Safe by Alison Feigh,  as I was not really sure if it was what I was looking for... but I know that Broxton loves reading and if it would help me at all, I wanted to check it out...  As soon as the book arrived, I smiled so big... Thankful that Elena sent it along for me to review.  I will say, the approach t...

Broxton had never really been around other kids, until we found the church we go to... and until he started school.  It was hard... Our friends either did not have kids, or their kids were older... or they lived to far... or...  or... or.... We would go to the local parks and he would be the only kid there that day... It was hard... but we did see people out and about... I wanted him to get to be sociable, like me... That was why I was so happy when we found his school... he loves it, we love it... and he is social :)   That being said, we have never really talked about people being like us, or different from us.  I think with the wide mix of children at his school, it is just something he sees and does not think twice about... but I know the conversation will come up one day... I was excited when we were given the chance to review the book, I'm Like You, You're Like Me by Cindy Gainer.  In this book, we are introduced to kids of all different bac...

  When I saw one of the latest books from Free Spirit publishing, Make a Splash : A Kid's Guide to Protecting Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers and Wetlands , I was excited to get this... as I would love to work with Broxton to protecting our environment. The book arrived and he automatically wanted to "read" it. I will admit, this is an elementary level book,  so "reading" it to Broxton is above his head at this point...   We did look through the book at the pictures and talk about what all we saw.  There has been times where he has gone and picked the book up and flipped through it on his own, but as far as reading it...   we are not quite there yet. If you have a child that is in elementary school, this would be a great book for yall to work on reading together and trying to help save the environment... one person at a time.. that is really all it takes!!! I love how this book shows that kids of all ages can really make an im...

I really enjoy working with Free Spirit Publishing. I have been able to review all sorts of books that are not the typical ones you find at the local store. We have had the opportunity to review their latest series, ParentSmart / KidHappy . I thought that these would be great to work with Broxton since we do need to get  more of a stricter schedule with him getting ready to start school.  So, this was the perfect time to read these. Up first:  Ready for the Day. In this book, you have a daddy getting his little girl up to start her day.  As with some kids, she is not eager to get ready for school.  Instead of daddy snapping at her, he kindly tells her that he too wishes he could stay home with her, but that they will have time to play that night and for her to pick out a game for them to look forward to.  He also picks out a couple outfits and has her choose the one that she will wear.  No, he is not giving her complete control, but by giving her ...

I am a big fan of Free Spirit Publishing , so I am really excited to get to share two of their newest books with you.  Free Spirit is a bit different from other Publishing Companies, they publish books that are more along the self-help route.. for parents and kids... We have reviewed books from them before and now we get to work with their Zach Rules series. We were sent two books and Broxton immediately wanted me to read them to him... He calls them the "Not Fair" books. There are two so far and they really are neat... Read their summary below:    When Zach shoves his little brother to the floor, he knows he did something wrong. Even so, it’s hard to apologize. Like any seven-year-old, Zach tries to ignore the problem, but finally, with his mom’s help, he learns the four steps to apologizing: (1) say what you did; (2) tell how it made the other person feel; (3) say what you could have done instead; (4) make it up to the person.  Zach Apologizes  teac...

I have reviewed books by Elizabeth Verdick in the Toddler Tools Series before and this one is perfect for my holiday gift guide. The book I am referring to? On The Go Time by Elizabeth Verdick . With so much to do, there is bound to be a time or two when you have to load your little one up to go run errands... Be it to the store for a holiday meal or to buy gifts... I really liked this book. As with all the books in this series, it is a board book. Also, it is as vibrantly illustrated and simply written so that kids of all ages understand. Let me tell you about this book: "What comes before Go? We know... Get Ready! Get Set!" Then... the book explores all the places you GO. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that it started with Go to the Potty before you leave. We work on this with Broxton all the time!!!! It also goes through getting ready to go... Then, another great part? When the little ones start wanting anything and everything... (and are told no) It reminds them to take breath...

A friend of mine has a child who is Autistic. I hate to say it, but I never really thought much about it. I know it is hard having an Autistic child, but I never thought about how others reactions may make them feel, or anything like that. Not being mean, just uneducated, I guess. The whole thing started when I read a poll in the paper. It asked how parents felt about other adults stepping in and correcting a kid in public. One lady said that it actually helped with her, as she had reprimanded her child and he still acted out, so a complete stranger stepped in and simply said that he needed to mind his mom, as he was being disrespectful. Turns out, the child acted right and then had a long talk with his mom that night about the fact that he didn't realize how bad he was until a stranger called him on it... That was when another parent said it should be a case by case situation... As her son was autistic and it would just make things worse in her case... That made me think, wh...

Elizabeth Verdick has so many great books in The Toddler Tools Series. She also has another series, The Best Behavior Series. I was able to review one and I think we need to get more of this series soon! We went with Diapers Are Not Forever. Broxton was doing pretty good at potty training. We were going tee-tee in there, but the other was a problem. Then, it seemed as though he just wanted NOTHING to do with it at all. I would ask, we would go.. Nothing. We told him that big boys went in the big boy potty... We praised and rewarded. Sticker chart... Pretty good. But then, nothing... We started reading the Diapers Are Not Forever Book... Yes, he has been in pull ups for a bit... So, the diapers are gone... BUT, I want him to be potty trained! Boom! He now goes potty in there, but the tee-tee is an issue for us! What? I even had the big brothers read the book. Want to know the neat thing about this book? Yes, it tells the reader that Big Kids go potty. Big Kids get bigger. Bigger cloth...

Clean Up Time by Elizabeth Verdick has been a great book for our house! As with all of Elizabeth's books... She represents kids of all ethnicity and gender! She has wonderful illustrations and the story is simple enough for little ones but still gets the message across! Broxton LOVES getting the toys out and loves playing... But come clean up time, he thinks that there are other things to do... Not anymore! We have read over this several times. Clean up .. Get the job done! I love that Elizabeth also ends with the Toddler Tools books on a fun note! We sing Clean up now and he actually helps faster than before. Now, don't think that he cleans super fast and it isn't always easy... but, its an improvement! With Clean Up Time, we also look at all the toys and spy what they forgot to put up! Besides reading and knowing Clean Up Time brings more fun, we also know that clean up time makes it easier for the future! Clean Up and put in the right place? You know where it is next t...

I have blogged before about how much I love Free Spirit Publishing. I think that they are a great company and I love what they stand for... I also really like their Toddler Tools books and luckily I was able to review a few more. Today, I want to tell you about the book, Sharing Time by Elizabeth Verdick . We really needed this book, but so far, Broxton is just not getting it! As a Stay At Home Mom, he isn't in childcare or anything at this time. He has been really good as far as sharing when it comes to the couple times he was in childcare settings... Also, when we go to the pool, he has been really good at sharing then... BUT lately... Not so much. With the boys here, he does NOT want them messing with his toys. He will quickly have a meltdown or temper tantrum if they are messing with his toys or anything. I have not realized what causes it... Is it that he is HORRIBLE at sharing? Or, is it because he gets annoyed that they are purposely messing with him? I can not figure it ou...

Calm-Down Time by Elizabeth Verdick is a great book for little ones. I know that at different times, all of us tend to get a bit fussy. With so many things going on right now, this is a great book for us to pull out and read from time to time! We read it when it is just our time. I love our time... It is quiet, Broxton snuggles up in my lap and we enjoy the books! For some reason, every time we get to the little girl that is crying, he points to her tear.. He then makes a sad face and says, "She's crying." Every. Single. Time. He has a heart of gold! Broxton loves making the different facial expressions for the children... He loves this book as it tells us to count to three... 1.2.3. I'm taking care of me!!!! Calm-Down Time tells you that there are several options to calming down... Go sit in your calm down place... Rock... Sing... Talk to an Adult. There are several choices! Love this book.. and you will too! One lucky reader is going to win a copy of: Calm Down T...

I have reviewed for Free Spirit Publishing before and I absolutely LOVE all the books that they have to offer! I was given the chance to review the newest book from their Toddler Tools Series. The newest book is called, Mealtime , and in it you learn all about how important mealtime is! With Mealtime, Broxton and I have been discussing why we eat our fruits and veggies... To grow up strong and healthy! Also, we discuss the importance of table manners. From washing our hands before we eat, to trying new things.. Just one bite! We also learn to use Please and Thank You... As well as using your napkin! We try to teach Broxton manners as it is, but with reading this... We get to discuss it more.. Including looking at pictures and seeing other kids doing the same thing! As with the other books in the Toddler Tools Series, the illustration is adorable, yet simple... With easy to read fonts and colorful words! I also love that they are the board books. Sturdy enough for every day reading!!...