© iStockphoto/digitalskillet
I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day! I wanted to do a Friday Photo Fun post with dads and children, but wasn't able to get to it. Here's a photo of a grandfather, a dad, and a son. I hope you were able to get the generations together this weekend!
I've made some changes to my categories recently, and will eventually change my blog overview. I added a "Rainy Day Activities" category, and replaced "Inspiration for Moms" with "Especially for Parents," because I've recently written some posts specifically for dads. It's just as important for fathers to read with their children as it is for mothers to do so! I also added a "Current Giveaway" category, and will be giving away books and other products on a regular basis. I'm actually thinking about getting rid of the "Friday Photo Fun" category because I'm not getting too much feedback about it. Please let me know if I should keep it going or not...
While this blog was originally created with moms in mind, it really applies to anyone who is around children on a regular basis: parents, teachers, librarians, grandparents, and caregivers. I spent years researching children's literature (specifically picture books), and I now want to share my knowledge with people who may not have time to do the research themselves. There are so many children's books out there - how do you seek out the very best ones with when you have a limited amount of time? I'd like to help.
For anyone who's not too familiar with blogging, it really is a labor of love. Most of my posts take hours to plan out and write. I do not have any paid advertising on my site and am not trying to sell you anything. If you find my site to be helpful, please feel free to support my efforts in any of the following ways:
- You can provide me with feedback by making comments. A blog is supposed to be a conversation, and I will only know what readers want more or less of if they tell me so! I know your time is limited, but it only takes a minute to leave a brief comment, question, or suggestion.
- If you know of anyone who would appreciate my blog, please help me to spread the word! I would much rather spend my time writing high quality content for you than on marketing.
- I always encourage my readers to borrow books from the library, but if you do end up buying a book that I recommended, you should know that if you buy it through my Amazon text, banner, or photo links, I will receive a very tiny commission. That goes for anything you buy through this link.
- If you are trying to "go green," and are trying to reduce your use of disposable items, I am participating in reusablebags.com's affiliate program. It's an award-winning site, and if you make purchases through my link, I will receive a small commission.
Why have I chosen Amazon and Reusablebags.com?
I like Amazon because it offers a wide range of products and customer reviews. Unfortunately, not every product I recommend is always available, but at least you can see what other customers thought of it. It's always nice to see what other people think before making a decision. My opinion isn't the only one that counts!
I like ReusableBags.com because it's an award-winning site with a wide variety of eco-friendly products. It is so important to be an educated consumer these days, and this site is the best of the "green" best! The company mission says it all:
"Our mission is to diligently search for innovative, practical products
that help people consume less, preserve natural resources and save
money too. Many of our products, such as reusable bottles and lead-free
lunch bags, also help reduce exposure to harmful chemicals."
Why am I doing this?
There are so many causes, but the two that I feel directly impact us all are literacy and the environment. Every child needs to be able to read, to breathe clean air, and to drink pure water. I stand for children and their right to read and breathe. That's why caring about the environment is so heavily emphasized in this blog. The more children read, the more they will understand how to take care of our precious planet.
I truly believe that reading with a child is the greatest gift anyone can ever give to a child. If parents, grandparents, and caregivers read to children from a very early age (within the first year of a baby's life), they will be giving them something that they will carry with them for life.
I hope that one day every child will have access to children's books. Maybe someday I will be in a position to donate millions of picture books to children all over the world. Until then, I will continue to spread my message, and to make it easier for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers to instill a love of reading and learning in children. It all starts one child at a time, one family at a time, and one classroom at a time. Please help me to support the cause of literacy.
Thank you so much for reading my blog! Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
