Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

Interview with Denise Lewis Patrick - (plus an Melody Ellison American Girl ® Doll doll giveaway!)

I am happy to share in the excitement of American Girl's ® debut of 1960's Melody Ellison to its BeForever line up with this author interview & doll giveaway!

Melody is a civil rights character and Motown fan that inspires girls and their families to be a force for positive growth and change. With hope, enthusiasm, and a solid sense of fairness, 9-year-old Melody provides a glimpse of life during the 1960s—a significant decade for the civil rights movement in America and a time of great energy, optimism, challenges, and change. With the struggle for equality and justice still prevalent today, Melody bridges the past and present for girls and shows them how ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they come together to make a meaningful difference.

“American Girl’s historical characters have long been celebrated for their educational value and for helping girls discover strength of character through things that truly matter—like helping others, being a true friend, and standing up for what’s right,” says Katy Dickson, president of American Girl. “We’re proud to introduce Melody and hope she’ll serve as an important role model to girls, giving them the courage to use their voices to speak up about what they believe in—even when it’s not easy to do. A concept that’s just as important today as it was over 50 years ago.”

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It is my pleasure and privilege to share this interview with Denise Lewis Patrick, author of the new Melody book series:

Denise Lewis Patrick, author of the new Melody book series from American Girl, was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana. She attended local schools and earned a degree in Journalism from Northwestern State University of Louisiana in 1977. That same year, she moved to New York City. She has been both a writer and editor in various areas of the publishing industry, particularly for children. In addition to the Melody series, she also wrote the three books on Cécile for American Girl.

In addition to being a published author, Denise is an adjunct professor of writing at Nyack College’s Manhattan, New York campus. She’s also worked with budding writers in an afterschool program, and has managed middle and high school writing programs.

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How would you describe Melody’s personality?

Melody has the musical talent that I wish I had! Plus, she’s a good friend and a good sister, and she wants to help her community. She’s sure of her place in her family, and they all support each other. But she’s also shy about standing out, and she has to learn that it’s okay to “let your light shine.” 

What do you hope Melody will do for girls?

Oh, I hope Melody gives girls today the courage to use their voices—in song, in writing, and in speaking—to stand up for what’s right and what’s fair.  I also hope readers will take away a message from Melody’s story to think about themselves in terms of their community and what they can do to help—to change—their community for the better. 

Can you describe what it was like to create and write about a character whose stories are set during the 1960s? Were any aspects of Melody’s story based on your own personal experiences?

I began by diving into background information provided by American Girl’s amazing research librarian. As the outline evolved, I could determine what additional sources I needed. One thing I love to work with in doing historical fiction is local newspapers from the period. That way I get both a broad and specific view of the community and what’s happening at the time.  I could see which national events in the civil rights movement were impacting the city, and get a sense of how the black community was involved on a local basis in civil rights issues. I did a ride-around in Detroit with one of the members of our advisory board who grew up there. She and another board member, who’s a Detroit native, gave me lots of anecdotal stuff that I could follow up on.

I’d say that many of Melody’s family experiences mirror some of mine, in the way she’s surrounded by extended family, the way they share a big meal once a week, the way they talk about justice and injustice as a matter of course. So what’s happening on the national stage is in the context of Melody’s understanding of the black experience. She has a strong sense of community, of connection and possibility. Although I grew up in the South, I was a girl in the 1960s and that’s very much what I was like. 

What were the most challenging aspects of writing the Melody series?

The real challenge here was translating to our readers the real types of discrimination that African Americans experienced in our country during the time in which Melody’s story is set. Things like not being able to drink from a certain water fountain, or not being able to buy your favorite chocolate cake from a neighborhood bakery—even when you had the money—are almost alien concepts to children today. However, children can understand and share in Melody’s sense of unfairness after what happened to her and Dwayne in the clothing store. And unfortunately children today are exposed to the reality of some people using violence, instead of dialogue, to solve problems. 

Why was it important to set Melody’s story in Detroit? 

I think the Detroit setting is very important because much of the history of the civil rights movement that most children learn about is concentrated on events that took place in the South. In fact, people across the United States took active parts in the struggle for racial equality and justice. 

Thank you Denise for developing such an inspiring character and stories!

To further engage girls in Melody’s world and her inspirational message, American Girl is introducing the following activities and events:

•  Lift Your Voice with Melody: To encourage people to share their photos and videos of how they’re speaking up to make a difference, fans can watch the "Lift Your Voice with Melody" video at americangirl.com/liftyourvoice and then share their own inspiring videos and photos, using #LiftYourVoice.

•  Melody Learning Materials: For parents and teachers, free, downloadable Melody learning and reader discussion guides, which explore themes and issues from the 1960s, are available at http://www.americangirl.com/corporate/parents-and-teachers.

•  Melody Retail Events: At American Girl retail stores, girls can listen to music that inspired Melody and celebrate her arrival with special block party food, free Melody-inspired crafts, and a free doll T-shirt giveaway.

•  Detroit Community Support: American Girl is partnering with the Detroit Public Library system (22 branches) and donating $100,000 in free Melody books for any area child who wants one through the end of 2016; $50,000 in funds to support the children’s area throughout the library system; and $25,000 in Melody dolls to be used for fundraising and incentives. The entire donation to the library is valued at $175,000.

•  Melody Amazon Special: An original American Girl live-action special, Melody, 1963: Love Has to Win, an American Girl Story, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video this fall. The Melody special is an Amazon adaptation of American Girl’s original created stories.

        AND....

  A Melody doll & book giveaway right here on www.kidsandeggs.com!

To enter to win your very own Melody Ellison doll and book, simply leave a comment on this post.   If your comment is selected by the random number generator, you'll win!  Giveaway ends 9/17/16 7:00 a.m CST

*Want even more chances?  Follow Kids and Eggs on Instagram, and/or Facebook.  You can also give yourself another shot by sharing a link to this giveaway on your social media as well.  Just make sure, whatever you do, you come back here and leave a comment letting me know how you shared.

Good luck!!

And the winter is:

Stacy H.

congratulations!

 

Interview with Bryan of Koo Koo Kanga Roo (& a giveaway for concert tickets!!)

Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Where you're from?  Your interests?  Do you have kids? Your favorite flavor of ice cream?

We are Minnesota boys.

I like Caesar salad and intense board games. Neil's all about the NBA and raw denim.

No Kids

Cookie dough forever.

How did Koo Koo Kangaroo come to be?  Can you give a brief history of how you guys met and how your band formed?  How did you become Bryan of Koo Koo Kanga Roo when you grew up?

We were college roommates and were in a pop/rock band together.  We played with other bands experimenting with drum machines and synths and working the crowd, so we wanted to take a stab, so we made some songs for the ipod. We got our start by playing silly songs in bars, trying to get people to dance and yell.

You guys have been on tour all summer - tell us about a funny/interesting story or adventure you have had in the process.

Its been more boring than funny. In the minivan a lot and trying to eat healthy so we dont get sick.  This is our first headline tour of the USA since more families have found out about our band.  We played the Vans Warped Tour last summer, but thats tough to bring a 6 year old too.

We have love seeing all the different kinds of people that have showed up to the shows.  Its awesome to see the mix and watch how they interpret the show and who we are.

As a kindergarten teacher,  your videos on GoNoodle have been a go-to resource for movement breaks and fun both in my classroom and at home with my own 4 kids....even when those goofy tunes stuck in my head for hours!  Tell us a little bit about your involvement with GoNoodle and what new things we can expect to see in the upcoming school year.

We made a workout DVD about 4 years ago as a joke for our merch table. We used the Fox 9 weather green screen. We put the videos on youtube and teachers started using the videos during the day in the classroom. GoNoodle started a while after that and put the first workout DVD videos on their site.  They went well so that we started to make a few more.

Who knows what will happen in the future. Probably more videos!

What can we look forward to seeing at your show at Fest du Nord in Ely, MN?

Lots of sweating on your neighbor. Lots of non acoustic dance beats. Lots of happiness hopefully.

 

People just have to be ready to dance/yell.  Theres not an excuse you can give us to sit out. 

 

Thanks Bryan!  Our whole family is excited to see Koo Koo Kanga Roo live at Fest Du Nord!

 

Now for more fun!  The organizers of Fest du Nord are generously offering one Kids and Eggs reader their choice of:

 

2 all-day passes to the Saturday 9/3 show

or

 2 Fest du Nord T-shirts

 

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, and if your comment is selected by the random number generator, you'll win!  Giveaway ends 8/26/16 7:00 a.m CST

*Want even more chances?  Follow Kids and Eggs on Instagram, and/or Facebook.  You can also give yourself another shot by sharing a link to this giveaway on your social media as well.  Just make sure, whatever you do, you come back here and leave a comment letting me know how you shared.

Good luck!!  I hope to see you at Fest du Nord!  

....and the winner is:

Jere

See you at Fest du Nord!

 

 

The importance of Play (plus a $50 Sarah's Silks Giveaway!)

 

In conjunction with the recent publication of an article I wrote about the importance of play on mothering.com,  I have an opportunity to introduce you to the wonderful company Sarah's Silks!    Sarah is also offering one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to her store to purchase some beautiful, handcrafted open-ended play materials for a child in their life!

The Story of Sarah's Silks:

 

The toys are designed by Sarah Lee in Forestville, CA. You can see her oldest son Josh hard at work making string games in the image above.  Sarah's family even raises their own raise silk cocoons on Mulberry Trees!

Sarah's Silks partners with families in a village in China to produce hand hemmed scarves for the play silks.   In the village where the scarves are sewn, the families work together in neighborhood homes. Sarah's company is connected to them and pay them decent wages for their product.  

 

In the USA they do finishing work, some dyeing, packaging and more. "Our shop is in our home and we employ mostly moms to help us. We have a "bring your kids to work" policy that works out very well for all."

Sarah's play silks, giant silks, dress-ups and toys are played with all over the world!  In Waldorf schools, in play therapy groups, dance classes and homes.

Check out this fun video to see Sarah's Silks products in action:

  

Now it's time for a GIVEAWAY!

Win a $50 gift card to Sarah's Silks!

TO ENTER:

• Watch the "Magical Playsilks" video (above) and leave a comment below telling me how you imagine your child would play with silks.
• Earn additional entries on my Facebook post <---- CLICK HERE.

Winner will be chosen randomly on August 16th at 7:00 a.m. CST.
Open to everyone worldwide!

I have collected the entries from comments and shares on this post, Facebook and instagram and the winner     is.......

 Shanna! You are the winner!

Shanna said...

Love these products. My daughters imaginations seems to grow daily. Her dolls are her world and would probably wrap the silk around them as a blanket.

Interview with Valerie Tripp - (plus an American Girl WellieWishers doll giveaway!)

I am happy to share in the excitement of the debut of the new American Girl Wellie Wishers! It is my pleasure and privilege to share a recent conversation that I had with the inspiring Valerie Trip, the individual who's imagination brought these characters to life through her stories.

Meet Valerie Trip!

Valerie Tripp is the author of more than 30 American Girl books, featuring the characters Felicity, Samantha, Josefina, Kit, Molly, Maryellen and many more.  She also writes for the Superkids Reading Program and the Boys Camp book series.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself - where you live, your family, and your interests?

I live in Silver Spring, MD with my wonderful husband, Michael, who teaches American History at a nearby college, and with our dog, Mr. Bingley. Our daughter, Katherine, is a graduate student in Seattle studying child development. Both my husband and I come from big families; my husband is one of 6 children and I am one of 5, and our noisy extended families often get together for parties, reunions, and weddings. Michael and I like to travel, especially to see our daughter, and we frequently to go to the National Parks. At home, my favorite pastime is reading – I LOVE to read – and I also enjoy walking-and-talking with my friends. I take lots of classes. Most recently, I’ve been studying poetry because I admire it so much. Here’s what Emily Dickinson wrote: “The possible’s slow fuse is lit by the imagination.” Isn’t that LOVELY? I visit lots of schools, libraries, scout troops, and book clubs and it is a great pleasure to meet the children who read my books. Truly, I’m interested and curious about EVERYTHING, and I do absolutely love to use my imagination – lighting that “slow fuse” of the possible – while I write.

Please tell us how your writing career developed and has grown with American Girl.

A year after I graduated from college, after I’d worked as a saleslady and a copy editor in Boston, I was hired by Pleasant Rowland to write songs, stories, plays, nonfiction essays, and skills book pages for a reading program called “The Superkids.” While Pleasant and I worked on the reading program together, we talked about the books we had loved as girls. Then Pleasant married and moved to Wisconsin and I married and moved to South Carolina. One day the phone rang and it was Pleasant. “I’ve had a great idea!” she said. Her great idea was American Girl: books about girls who lived in different periods of history written for readers of the same age as the characters. It has been my life’s privilege and delight that Pleasant trusted me to be the first “voice” of American Girl. In 1983, I wrote the first outlines of the stories for Kirsten, Molly, and Samantha. As the years went on and American Girl grew, I wrote about Felicity, Josefina, and Kit as well as the characters’ best friends: Emily, Nellie, Elizabeth, and Ruthie – and now Maryellen! So I began writing my American Girl books before American Girl existed, in a way, and it was all due to my friendship with Pleasant Rowland, the creator of American Girl. 

I learned while writing the American Girl books of historical fiction that if my reader became friends with my character, then my reader cared about what was happening to her friend whose family, for example, faces losing their house during the Depression, as with my character Kit, or Molly, whose father is off fighting in World War 2. I’ve applied that lesson of friendship to the WellieWisher stories. That is, I’m hoping that my WellieWisher reader will see how her friends in the garden solve disagreements, listen to one another, name emotions, use humor to apologize, have a conspiracy of kindness for a friend who’s in over her head.  My reader will feel welcome, will dive right into Welliewishers’ messy, adventurous, imaginative, giggly, goofy, creative play, where the rules of gravity in all senses of that word do not apply. They’ll share their great love of animals and the out of doors.

Though I’ve always loved research and thinking up stories, writing is still hard work for me. I’m persnickety and slow. I think I came to writing as a job because my favorite thing in the world is reading. (Don't you love books and stories and just immersing yourself in the world of a book?) Writing allows me to use my imagination, and I am grateful to have a job that requires me to create something new all the time. It’s a great challenge. 

Your ideas have come to life in the form of books, illustrations, playthings, movies and animation. How involved are you in these processes?  

I always feel that the illustrations teach me things about my characters that I did not know; the illustrations add 100% more to the story. In the case of the WellieWishers, I wrote long art specs because for a reader of this young age, the pictures and words are equally vital to comprehension. I love that the dolls invite my reader to lift the stories right up off the page and “play out” the story adventures – and make up adventures of their own devising -- for the characters. I often suggest how the dolls should look, and I suggest products, too. For example, I knew that Kit wanted to be a reporter, so I suggested that she have a typewriter. (It is very cute!) I always say to children, “The typewriter symbolizes Kit’s desire to write, and the fact that her dad repaired it for her symbolizes his encouragement. Think of all the ways that YOUR parents encourage YOU.”

How does it feel to have your stories and characters come to life in these ways?

It’s fun to see the characters grow and change by being presented in different media. I cannot WAIT to see the WellieWishers animated! The artist has brought them to lively life!

Tell us about your new series about the WellieWishers.  

The WellieWishers are enthusiastic, eager, earnest, and energetic six-year-old friends who play together in a garden. They are curious, messy, imaginative, adventurous, and joyful. Though they are often giggly and goofy, they can be thoughtful, too, and gentle. They are distinct individuals with unique talents, passions, and quirks, but they are all creative, generous, good-hearted, and kind. Oh, and they all love animals and being out of doors! 

How did you develop these characters and stories?  

It was tremendous fun! 

I wanted the characters to be five distinct individuals, and I wanted to show that that the quiet girl can be noisy sometimes, and the exuberant girl can be insightful and thoughtful. I’ve never done this before, but for the WellieWisher characters I wrote long essays that I called “Personality, Products, and Purpose” – or P,P&P, for short – to define the character and I also made a chart. Here it is: Did you have any particular inspiration? 

As with every book I write, my reader was my inspiration. I thought about her life, joys, challenges, hopes, and dreams. I know and love this age group. In my undergraduate work at Yale and graduate work at Harvard, I studied them and I’ve been creating materials for children ages 4 to 7 on-and-off since 1974, working with Pleasant Rowland on The Superkids Reading Program, so I am familiar with this developmental stage in terms of ability, interest, Piagetian level of moral comprehension, and Ericsonian stage of self-awareness. Also, I spend an enormous amount of time with school-age children and their families because of school, store, book club, and scout troops visits. I’m on my way to speak to a group of girls and mothers in one hour from now!!

This age is where we see the first glimmers of radical empathy. And oh, dear, in those school visits I have ached to see how teachers are so overburdened with academic goals for even their youngest students – talk about overburdened, the students are, too, so much so that there is no time any more for the sort of slow, organic, experiential learning for social-emotional skills like waiting, listening, or compassion, or how to be a good friend. I’m hoping that the WellieWishers’ stories will be like their garden: an island of good friends who treat one another – and the natural world – with respect and kindness. I really can’t think of anything more important to teach -- ever so gently –than kindness.

Another of my inspirations and hopes and goals for the WellieWisher stories is to show girls that they don’t need magic wands or powers. Not that the garden isn’t beguiling and enchanting and transformative. But magic – miraculous transformations -- happen through creativity, patience, imagination, and hard work. That kindness is magic, maybe all the magic any of us needs. 

And another inspiration is very personal. During all those library talks, school visits, Daisy and Brownie troop visits, and signings at American Girl stores, I’ve met hundred of young mothers who greet me as an old friend, who say to me, “Oh, I read your stories when I was a little girl. I grew up with your stories and now I have a daughter of my own to share them with!” I throw my arms around them! I tell them that they are my alums. 

I want to say to my alums: the Welliewisher stories are a gift for you now that you are a parent. And here’s my promise to you: the stories will be age-appropriate, with humor and joy, and hit the spot where your curious, merry, goofy, intense girls are in their lives. The stories will respect the reader enough to present multiple viable views. They’ll encourage girls to challenge the given wisdom and challenge dusty assumptions without being snarky. They’ll show that there’s a difference between a cheerful skepticism and cynicism: one is smart and healthy and the other is a dead end. They’ll show that we can love people with whom we disagree and disagree with people whom we love. They’ll celebrate the values of tolerance and compassion as well as the values of drive, hope, creativity, individuality, change, and work.

I want to say to parents: I know that you want your child to thrive and shine, and to learn about herself as she learns about the world. In fact, I believe that in our world where we’re inundated by factual information, EQ is more important that IQ, a resilient attitude is more important than aptitude, and perseverance, responsibility, empathy and compassion are the most important abilities we can teach our children for the future. 

The stories are a way for me to say thank you for entering the world of the stories that I have had the great honor and pleasure of writing of writing for American Girl, and holding those stories in your hearts and memories. With the Welliewisher stories, I want to say, Thank you for your friendship. I want to invite them into the garden. 

What’s next for you?

Oh, I’m always scribbling away at something. I’ve got lots of great ideas for more stories about the WellieWishers perking along in my head.

Anything else?

Well, now that I think of it, I have LOTS of hopes for the WellieWisher books. For example: Just as the American Girl books of historical fiction encourage girls to go deep and linger and not rush to be older, I’m hoping the Welliewisher stories will encourage girls to love being just the way they are right now. I hope the books will encourage girls to go outside!! Run around! Play! Use imagination! Get messy! Notice light and color and the seasons and animals and birdsong and the different joys of all kinds of weather! I hope the stories model how to solve problems both practical and interpersonal, how to be a good friend and daughter, and the rewards of being an observant, participatory, active appreciator of the earth. 

In celebration of the release of the new WellieWishers line of dolls, American Girl is generously offering one lucky Kids and Eggs reader one WellieWishers doll of their choice !

Pick from:

Camille, Emerson, Willa, Kendall, or Ashlyn.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below.  Comments will close by 9am CST on Tuesday, July 12, 2016.  The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced on this post shortly after.

This giveaway is open to residents of U.S. & Canada.

Good Luck!

....and the winner is:

Julie!

Julie said...

My daughter's are girl scouts & love American Girl Dolls. They are excited for the wellie wishers and would love one!

 Julie - you have 24 hours to claim your prize - congratulations! 

 

 

 

Wellie Wishers

Kindergarten-age characters wearing funky mud boots helping kids learn positive social skills through literature and play - this is right up my alley - and I get to share some fun with ‪Kids and Eggs readers!

American Girl just launched a new fun line of dolls & books for girls age 5 to 7. The ‪WellieWishers‬ friends--Willa, Kendall, Ashlyn, Emerson, and Camille--imagine and play in an enchanted neighborhood garden supervised by Aunt Miranda. Through their heartwarming and humorous adventures, the WellieWishers help a girl to learn how to "stand in another person's wellies" to discover the skills of empathy, kindness, and compassion that will help her be a good friend.

Stay tuned for an interview with author Valerie Tripp, a product review & GIVEAWAY!!!! 

Okee Dokee Brothers - Saddle Up Giveaway!

 We are big fans of the Okee Dokee Brothers at our house - and we are thrilled to share in the excitement of the release of their brand new album:

Saddle Up: A Western Adventure 

a CD/DVD combo pack that debuts TODAY!

A little bit about the album:

Saddle Up is the third in the Okee Dokee Brother's Adventure Album Series.  This album was created on a month long horse packing trip where band members Joe Mailander & Justin Lansing rode horses, camped out, told stories and wrote the songs that make up this album.  Check out some  videos of songs from this new album and be sure to take a listen to some of the other great tunes from Grammy Award Winner Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure and Through the Woods – An Appalachian Adventure.

! 

We recently got to see Joe and Justin live in concert sharing songs from their new album Saddle Up along with some old favorites.  At the concert our whole family caught the Okee Dokee bug and we have been singing along to their songs for weeks! Like all of their music, their new album has some really fun and catchy tunes. Some of our favorites songs so far are:  Saddle Up, Don't Fence Me in, & Jackalope

We could not resist getting their new book Can You Canoe? And Other Adventure Songs (which has all of the lyrics of its companion CD printed with lively illustrations - great for the car!).  

We think these guys are pretty awesome!

I am excited to have the opportunity to GIVEAWAY a copy of Saddle Up to one lucky Kids and Eggs reader!

Earn entries by:

*posting a comment on this post

*commenting, or tagging a friend on my instagram post about this giveaway @megtdevine with the album cover

*sharing, commenting, and/or tagging a friend in this Facebook post

I will pick a lucky winner by Monday, April 16th.

*this giveaway is restricted to those with U.S. mailing addresses

Good Luck!

Giveaway closed

 

Giveaway! Icy, Creamy, Healthy Sweet

I am so happy to share in the excitement of the release of:

Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet by Christine Chitnis.

The book is full of beautiful photography and enticing recipes of refreshing, tasty and healthy frozen desserts that use whole foods and natural sweeteners.  

The first recipe we experimented with from the book was the frozen yogurt bark, which I was able to share on a post at mothering.com.  The recipe is a cool take on traditional chocolate bark that it lends itself well to experimentation.  You can add fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, seeds, toasted coconut or any tasty combination you can think of!  We tried this recipe out at our house using honey from our backyard hives, wild blueberries and some dark chocolate chips for good measure.  

Yum!

Christine is partnering with Vitamix and HawaiianShavedIce.com for a bi-coastal book tour this summer, including stops in San Francisco, NYC and Seattle. Be sure to visit her at christinechitnis.com for event details.You can read more about Christine in an interview I posted here.

To celebrate the launch of Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet I get to giveaway a copy to a lucky reader!  To enter use the rafflecopter below and post comments.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

American Girl -Lea; Girl of The Year 2016 Book Review and Doll Giveaway!

I am happy to share in the excitement of the new

American Girl® -Lea™; Girl of the Year® 2016!

My daughter and I recently read the debut book for the Lea Clark series by Lisa Lee,

Lea Dives In.

As a mother and daughter team of reviewers, we thought it would be fun to share some of our insights from reading the debut book:

Z:  “I really enjoyed the book!  Lea's character is so realistic.  It is fun to read stories about girls my own age.”

Mama: “It was fun to travel vicariously to Brazil with Lea and her family.”

Z:  “I liked to read and learn some Portuguese words.  There was a glossary in the back to help with pronunciations. ”

Mama:  “This is an inspirational story for young girls!   Throughout the book Lea navigating relationships, problem solving and acting upon her courage to overcome a fear.   Lea's character is true to life!

We’re both excited to read the second book in the series, Lea Leads the Way.

  

Giving Back with Lea

To show girls that, together, they can make a difference in helping protect animals and their habitats, American Girl has created Wild at Art, a year-long fund-raising campaign in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In addition, from January 1 through December 31, 2016, for every purchase of one of the three plush animals in Lea’s collection—the margay, sea turtle, or sloth—American Girl will donate $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to WWF.

Fun and Games

We have also both been exploring some of the unique activities available online to extend and enrich Lea’s character and story.

(click on the image below to check out some fun activities): 

 

In celebration of the release of the 2016 Girl of the Year, 

I have an amazing giveaway!

American Girl is generously offering one Kids and Eggs reader an

 American Girl® -Lea™; Girl of the Year® and book!

Yes, that’s right - win your very own 

American Girl® -Lea™; Girl of the Year® and book!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am CST on Saturday, February 6th, 2016. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced in this post shortly after.  

This giveaway is open to residents of U.S. & Canada.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: The views and opinions expressed on this post are my own.

good mail day!

My mailbox had some special surprises today.  Two new books to review and enjoy: Barnyard Kids - A Family Guide to Raising Animals by Dina Rudick and an advance reader's copy of The Farmette Cookbook - Recipes and Adventures from My Life on an Irish Farm by Imen McDonnell (which looks amazing!).

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dina Rudick and I will be putting our conversations together in the form of a blog post soon!  

Stay tuned!

Interview with Christine Chitnis (plus a giveaway!)

I am so happy to have an opportunity to share with you a recent interview with one of my writing mentors, Christine Chitnis!

I first met Christine at a Squam Art Workshop a couple of years ago. Then I became one of her students in an online class that she offered.  In the class Christine was able to give me some practical knowledge and confidence to pitch my writing, which led me to the opportunity to write a monthly School Days column for Minnesota Parent Magazine.

In the November issue of Minnesota Parent I was delighted to see a recipe featured from Christine's most recent book Little Bites: 100 Healthy, Kid Friendly Snacks.  As it turns out it was a surprise for Christine as well! We were both happy to have made this unique connection in print.  And, I must say, ever since I got my hands on her book, I have had a lot of fun trying out some of the recipes with my own little ones.  Most recently I made the Carmel Apples with Sea Salt & the Broccoli and Cheese Soft Pretzel Knots, both which I highly recommend!

Yum!  
To add to the fun, I have an interview with Christine to share with you and an opportunity for you to win  a copy of Little Bites!

Enjoy - and good luck!

Christine, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

When I'm not busy writing and photographing, I can be found chasing after my two wild boys or escaping to my studio for a bit of sewing and knitting.  I am an avid home cook, passionate about feeding my family wholesome, delicious, seasonal fare.  I live in Providence, Rhode Island with my family, three chickens and overflowing community garden plot.  You can follow along on my adventures here: @c.chitnis (https://instagram.com/c.chitnis/) or christinechitnis.com.

What inspired you to write Little Bites?  Can you tell us about your collaboration with co-author Sarah Waldman on the book?

Our goal with Little Bites is to offer recipes for simple, wholesome food made from ingredients that everyone can recognize, and to leave families with the feeling that making their own snacks is easy and enjoyable.  Children think of snacks as fun, tasty, easy-to-eat foods, but we parents know that the very best snacks are all that and more: when done right, snacks give our kids a needed boost of energy and they deliver dense amounts of nutrition in a small package.  

I worked on Little Bites for a year with my co-author, though from the initial idea to publication took over two years!  As Sarah worked on the recipes, I would focus on photographing the seasons and the food, along with helping her test the recipes.  We felt strongly about writing and cooking with the seasons, instead of trying to rush the process.  I also wrote each chapter in season, which really helped me capture the seasonal feelings that I wanted to convey.

Do you have a favorite recipe in Little Bites?

 

I can honestly say that I love every recipe in the book so it makes it tough to pick favorites.  Since it's fall, I'll highlight a few of my fall favorites: on the savory side I can't get enough of the Roasted Pumpkin Hummus.  We eat a ton of hummus in our house, and I really appreciate this seasonal twist to add a bit of flare to our regular recipe.  When it comes to sweets, the Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies are insanely delicious!  I've had a bumper crop of carrots from my garden this year, and I'm thrilled to be able to turn them into something sweet.

 

Tell us about your upcoming book.

 

My third book will hit shelves in April of 2016.  Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet: 75 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream, Fruit-Forward Ice Pops, Frozen Yogurt, Granitas, Slushies, Shakes and More.  I'm all about healthy eating but I don't like the idea of making certain foods off-limits.  We eat dessert all the time in our family, but I make it from scratch from real, whole foods ingredients.  These frozen treat recipes are all free of refined sugar, instead relying on natural sweeteners and fruit for their flavor.  They are light, delicious desserts that you can feel good about eating, while still satisfying your sweet tooth.  It is a gorgeous book, I have to say: hardcover, luscious matte pages, and full page pictures of each recipe.  I really love Roost, my publisher, for their commitment to producing books that feel and look beautiful.  It is truly an honor to be counted among their roster of authors.

 

Thank you Christine!  

*photos are from www.christinechitnus.com - except the images of the salted carmel apples and pretzels -

 

To enter my giveaway to win a copy of Little Bites: 100 Healthy, Kid Friendly Snacks, leave a comment below:

Comments will close by 9am CST on Saturday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after.

Comments closed - The winner is:  #8 Kelly with the comment:

Thanks for putting her book on my radar - looks like one I'd like to add to my collection. Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies? Yum.

Congratulations Kelly!-