Let’s Get Ready with Cedar Valley Publishing

Author VS Grenier, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine, celebrates her debut picture book about the importance of telling the truth and getting to know others.

Grenier’s “Babysitting SugarPaw” is about a little bear who hopes to get rid of his babysitter, Bonnie Whiskers, by getting her into trouble after making changes to his rules chart. As this loving story unfolds, SugarPaw learns about honesty and friendship. Babysitting SugarPaw, with its child-centered plot on getting to know others, is the perfect book for little ones scared of being left alone with a babysitter for the first time. This book will delight three-to-eight-year-old readers, especially those who like to create mischief.

When asked what inspired Grenier to write this particular story, she said, “I really enjoyed writing Babysitting SugarPaw based off some of the antics I pulled as a child with my babysitters. I feel children will love the mischief SugarPaw creates and parents will appreciate the subtle ways Bonnie Whiskers teaches how to be honest and a good friend.

“I love writing children’s books! I finish one and then get another idea from my own childhood or from my kids. It takes all my talent to create a book, run Stories for Children Magazine, and raise my children, too. But, I love it! It is such a surprising turn in the road to finally see one of my books in print. I hope to bring many more to children and share with them my love of the World of Ink.”

About the book:
Babysitting SugarPaw
Written By VS Grenier
Illustrated by Kevin Collier
ISBN: 978-1935268062
Publisher: Halo Publishing International
Date of publication: July 1, 2009
Pages: 32
S.R.P.: $13.95

About the author:
VS Grenier is an Award-winning author and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine (http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org). She learned how to hone her writing skills at the Institute of Children’s Literature, and her works include: the Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1 anthology and over 30 short stories, articles, and crafts for children along with newsletter articles for writers.

This dynamic woman developed and continues to grow Stories for Children Magazine freelances as a children’s author and editor for Halo Publishing along with running her own editorial/critique service. She has placed in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll in several categories for the past two years:

• One of the Top Ten Editors of 2007.
• Won 2nd place in Best Nonfiction of 2007 for her article, “Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus.”
• Won 7th place in Best Nonfiction of 2008 for her article, “Dinosaur Tracks in My Backyard.”
• Won 15th place in Best Mainstream Fiction for her story, “SugarPaw and the Babysitter.”
• California girl at heart, she currently lives in Utah with her husband, their two children, the family’s big fat cat Speed Bump, and miniature schnauzer Taz.

To learn more about VS Grenier and Babysitting SugarPaw visit http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw
Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.

1. Empower the kids to be involved in packing and planning and being a part of organizing your trip!
2. Purchase small travel-size dry erase boards and plan some activities using them such as: 
   • The Drawing Game:  draw a cow, draw an octagon, draw a car, draw the number 48, etc.
   • The True or False Game:  Have kids put a T for True or an F for False to a series of family questions such as:  Grandma Martha used to drive a motorcycle; Aunt Beth is adopted; You have 4 first cousins; etc.
   • The Person, Place or Thing with 10 clues Game:  Select a category between, person, place or thing and write down the answer and have the kids ask clues to figure out the answer.  For example - for a person, the kids might ask, do I personally know this person or is it someone famous?
   • The Yes or No game:  Ask questions and the kids will write yes or no - Do you like pizza?; Would you like to scuba dive someday?; Might you be a teacher?; Sail the ocean?; Travel to the North Pole?
   • Perfect for Tic-tac-toe and hang man games!
3. Bring books for quiet time reading for the kids to enjoy.  Set the timer and tell the kids it is quiet time to either take a nap or read! Of course our books are perfect for kid fun or playing school or teacher in the car:  Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten!, the Spanish/English of iA Prepararse Para Kindergarten! or Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten!
4. Bring travel-size colors and a coloring book with a tray to do activities!
5. Purchase blank books in the dollar bin and create travel journals documenting the trip.  Purchase some vacation-themed stickers and allow the kids to either use the camera to take some pictures or get them cheap disposable cameras that they are in charge of using!
6. Print off the computer start and stop maps to where you are going and let them draw points of interest that they have seen along the journey!
7. Bring electronic devices, if they already use and a DVD for movie time!
8. Bring prepacked healthy snacks ready to go to keep the kids happy!
9. Crank up the radio and sign along together to your family favorites!
10. Share family stories about how they will be seeing on the trip or about how Mom and Dad met, some of the things Grandma and Grandpa used to do and stories when Mom and Dad were kids!
11. Pack travel-size cold water for the kids, put them in pull-ups to avoid accidents in the car seat or plane, bring wipes for quick clean ups and toilet paper for emergency stops!
12.  Have an extra change of clothing with easy access as well as favorite stuffed animals and blankets to encourage sleep time.
13.  Count to 25 by finding 25 white cars; 25 red cars, trucks, cows, etc.
14.  Before you leave home, guess the number of VW Bugs you will see along the way or Smart Cars or Windmills or flags and start counting.
15.  Play “I Spy” something red, something red, white and blue or something moving, etc.
16. Check out www.roadfood.com, a site devoted “exclusively to finding the most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America.”

Happy traveling with kids!

Gretchen at Tea Safari was sweet enough to give us some of her amazing tea.  Heidi and Megan loved the Strawberry Kiwi Iced Tea.  It is unbelievably delicious and caffeine-free.  

Iced Tea Preparation Instructions:

1. Brew a tea concentrate by following the regular brewing instructions printed on the tea bag or tin, but using twice the amount of leaves. If sweetener is desired, we recommend using sugar, stevia, honey, etc. while the tea is hot.
2. Fill glasses or pitcher approximately 2/3 with ice (preferably made using filtered water). Use plastic or tempered glass only.
3. Immediately pour the hot tea over the ice, separating the leaves with a strainer. If necessary, add more ice until the concentrate is diluted to nearly double its initial volume. 
4. If desired, add a slice of lemon, lime or orange or decorate with a sprig of mint leaf. 
5. Example Measurements: To prepare 36 ounces of iced tea, brew 18 ounces of tea using approximately 6 teaspoons of tea leaves.

Tea is a great way to stay hydrated and healthy.  To visit Tea Safari, click on the link below. Free ground shipping in the continental U.S.

Use the coupon code at the store checkout!

http://store.teasafari.com/

From now through August 2009, LEGO Education is sponsoring a hands-on activity challenge for educators, (including home educators!), to design and submit an activity using only the parts in a free kit supplied by LEGO. The activity could range from a simple construction to an advanced math application.  Your imagination is the limit! The Grand Prize Winner will get LEGO Education products and gift certificates valued up to $250; eight monthly winners will receive prizes worth up to $100.  Entries will appear on the LEGO Smart Blog as they are posted to the website.

See the website for all the rules and to request your kit:  http://www.legoeducation.com/forms/activitycontest.asp

This is hilarious!!! Please watch this video and vote!!!

Vote for @ConsumerQueen for the Swiffer Award http://tinyurl.com/own7qs #CNQueen Looks like you can vote once everyday!

As a new mom with fond memories of road trips with my family when I was younger, here are a few of my favorite tips I share with families I work with as a travel planner and family travel expert:

1. Get the children involved in planning the trip - especially if you have teenagers! This way they are less likely to complain, will take pride in knowing they helped choose the itinerary, and will know a bit more about trip destinations.  Make it fun!
2. For families with infants and toddlers, consider using a baby supply service such as Baby’s Away.  These companies can arrange for baby items such as cribs, strollers and supplies to be delivered to your vacation destination so you’ll have less stuff to lug around.
3. When staying in a hotel or rental home, bring baby-proofing items like outlet plugs and a portable gate. This will help with curious toddlers. Also, a few hotels offer these items for their guests, so ask when you call for a reservation.
4. When road-tripping, pack a small bag of essentials to keep in the front seat. Keeping certain items handy will prevent you from having to stop and dig through the tightly packed trunk.
5. Before the trip, come up with a family plan of what to do in case someone gets lost. For example, each person should carry emergency contact numbers, including children.  Also set a specific location to meet and stay put should the group be separated.
6. Have the children engage in creative games such as License Plate Bingo or Count the Cows.   Not only does this keep young minds entertained, it is fun for the whole family!
7. Create a toy box or back pack for each child.  Have the child participate in choosing what items to pack in his or her bag.  Or purchase one such as Little Learning Hands Company’s wonderful “Are We There Yet?” Busy Bag.
8. Highlight the road trip on a road map or the destination on a World map.   Have the children give periodic updates as to where they think you all are.
9. If a portable DVD is part of the family road trip, make sure to bring headphones as well!
10. Pack the car the night before and start the trip out very early in the morning so the children will sleep for the first few hours.  They will awake around breakfast time and mom and dad will have had several hours of quiet time!

Most importantly the time we spend with our families away from all the stresses make memories of a lifetime.  Enjoy this summer, have fun and explore!  Happy Travels!

Jenny Reed is a first time mom and owner of www.OurCruisePlanner.com, a full-service travel agency with no service fees.  She loves all things travel and specializes in family travel, Disney and Alaska travel.  Follow her on Twitter too @TheTravelExpert.

This is definitely the little box that has families talking!  It’s for ages 3 and up and we love it!  With questions about family life, achievement, goal planning, money skills, getting along with others and more you can really spark the family conversation.  Each card has a question, a teaser question or task about the subject and more information regarding the topic on the back of the card!

http://www.ChatterBoxGames.com

Here is a great question on Cleanliness and Presentation: 

• For 3-6 years:  Why do you have a bath and brush your teeth every day?
• For ages 7-11:  Do you think people judge you by your appearance?  Do you judge others that way? 
• For 12 years +:  Since people are judged by their appearance, do you believe there is a benefit to looking your best at all times? 

Another card is on Values. 

• For ages 3-6:  What is important to you? 
• For ages 7-11:  Do you know what you value?  Would you stand up for your values no matter what? 
• For 12 years +:  If your friends want you to do something that you really don’t want to do, what stops you?  Does your family know what you stand for?

Another card Avoid Nay Sayers.

• For ages 3-6:  How do you feel when someone says you can’t do something you think you can do?  Do you try it anyway?
• For ages 7-11 years:  Do you let people who say you’re not good at something or you can’t do something affect you?  Why or why not?
• For 12 years +:  Do you think any great discovery would have been made if the person listened to nay sayers?  Why do you think so many people listen to nay sayers?

Communicating with our children is the key to creating great kids!  Happy chattering!

ATTENTION all parents and kids who always tell me how talented you are at writing stories!  Here is your chance:  Stories For Children Magazine is having a writing contest for Parents and Children to write a story about you or your character’s Wacky Dream! It’s a Wacky Dream Story Contest!

Wacky Dream Story Contest at Stories for Children Magazine

Make your dreamscape come alive and write about a wacky dream you or one of your characters has had and can’t stop talking about it. It’s all about the wackiest dream, but make sure it is appropriate for children ages 12 and under.

Submissions accepted: March 1, 2009 thru May 30, 2009

Who can enter? Two categories: one for adults and one for children (17 and under)

Contest Fees: Adults $10 / children FREE

Contest Prizes:
The Top Three stories for both categories will be published in the following months:

• 1st place—July 2009
• 2nd place—August 2009
• 3rd place—September 2009

On top of being published in Stories for Children Magazine, our top three winners in both categories will also receive a Winner’s Certificate and -

For Adults - 

• 1st Place:  A year’s subscription to Writer’s Digest and Children’s Writers put out by The Institute of Children’s Literature.
• 2nd Place:  Writer’s Little Instruction Book: Craft & Technique by Paul Raymond Martin, published by Writer’s Digest
• 3rd Place:  Writer’s Little Instruction Book: Getting Published by Paul Raymond Martin, published by Writer’s Digest
             

For Youth (17 and under) -

• 1st place:  The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters autographed by James Dashner, Dream Share autographed by Rita Milios, and a $10 gift card to a store of their choice.
• 2nd place:  A 13th Reality poster autographed by James Dashner, a Dream Share button, and $10 gift card to a store of their choice.
• 3rd place:  A Dream Share button and $10 gift card to a store of their choice.

Judges: The SFC Team

CONTEST RULES

Specifications: Short stories for children ages 12 and under. Any original, unpublished piece not accepted by any publisher at the time of entry is eligible. Entries can take on any form of wackiness. Maximum word count is 1,200 words. (This is not including your title or byline.) NO sexual, violent, or drug related content. Winners will be selected based on quality and appeal to our readership at Stories for Children Magazine.

All entries must follow Stories for Children Magazine’s submission guidelines at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/WackyDreamStoryContest.aspx

All submissions must be emailed as an attachment to: SFCcontests@StoriesForChildrenMagazine.org by midnight May 30, 2009. In the subject line, write “Wacky Dream Story Contest” and indicate adult or youth category.

No mail-in entries will be accepted! No acknowledgement of the receipt of entries will be sent. Multiple entries are allowed, but must be sent separately.

FOR ADULT WRITERS: An invoice will be sent via PayPal for the contest fee of $10.

FOR YOUNG WRITERS (17 and under): Please follow the submission guidelines above. Plus attach the Minor Release form, which can be found at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/Documents/SFC%20Minor%20Release%20Form.doc

SEND ONLY ONE SUBMISSION PER EMAIL.

Good luck!

Be sure to check out the April 2009 issue of Stories for Children Magazine for the magnificent articles, stories, and Featured Guest Kevin Scott Collier’s interview.

Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

While Tammy spends her days (and many nights) taking care of my website needs, as well as those of many other clients…she still finds time to really enjoy her passion of quilting.  I cannot tell you how many quilt-related websites she has, but I can tell you that she will work on her clients’ sites until 1-2 in the morning and THEN she’ll work on her own quilting websites.  On the weekend evenings (after her four children are in their sleeping slumber), if she’s not working online, she’s in her sewing room quilting!

This week, Tammy was pleasantly surprised with a mention of one of her websites, www.BOMquilts.com, being mentioned in the May 2009 Better Homes & Gardens magazine!

Feel free to click on the image below to see her website mentioned under the “Needling Allowed” topic:

Yeah Tammy!  I’m so proud and excited for you!  You have done wonders for MY business, and I just get giddy when I see that your passion is recognized by so many others!

This is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) who promotes excellence in early childhood education. 

Here is a list of 10 of our favorite things to do, and ideas to celebrate with your young child!

1. Finger paint
2. Make flowers and bugs out of  play dough
3. Play with mommy’s old Barbie’s and outfits
4. Make a zoo with all the stuffed animals
5. Have a pillow fight
6. Read a book
7. Go fly a kite
8. Look at family pictures
9. Share family stories
10. Build a fort

For more information on what YOU can do, to help celebrate the week of the young child, please visit:  http://www.naeyc.org/