The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
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Food and Life

Kid-Friendly: Summer Reading Programs {and a Giveaway!}

August 8, 2012 · Narrative

Harry Potter and Goosebumps series
Sad to say, we’re in the home stretch of summer. Just under four weeks to go before the back-to-school madness begins. The kids’ summer camps and CCD obligations are now done, and they have lots of unscheduled chill time for the rest of the month. As we break the budget with full-time babysitters.

So this month, we’re focusing on summer reading. Nick has four books to read before school starts, so one of their excursions with their babysitter this week was a visit to the local library to get started. With an hour a day of reading, he should finish up quickly. Blurring the line between unstructured summertime fun and upcoming school obligations.

The kids are big fans of books and reading, although Nick is a bit reluctant when it comes to obligated reading. If your kids need a little extra motivation when it comes to reading (summer, school, or otherwise), perhaps these free summer reading programs might give them a little push?

Nicky Fifth series
Nick was lucky enough to attend a special meet-the-author luncheon for this book series, based upon an essay he wrote.

TD Bank will give kids ten dollars if they read ten books. Yes, please. (And they offer these no-nonsense tips on making reading more fun for your kiddos)

Barnes & Noble will give your child a free book if they read 8.

The folks at Chuck E. Cheese will give you 10 free tokens for two weeks worth of everyday reading.

Tackle the Summer Reading Challenge from Pottery Barn Kids for the chance to win cool prizes.

And, of course, do check out your local library as well. Many of them offer summer reading challenges (not to mention story times and crafts as well).

American Girls series
Madeline and I have started tackling the American Girls series.

In an effort to knock “read chapter books” off our Summer Bucket List, we are currently ensconced in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, one of my favorite escapism books from my own childhood. Imagining that your closet is the gateway to a new, wonderful magical land? How awesome.

Dr. Seuss

Lastly, jetBlue has teamed up with PBS Kids to launch their own summer reading initiative, Soar with Reading. This is the second year of the program, and if you share your favorite children’s book right here, jetBlue will donate a book to a child in need — up to $200,000 worth of books!! — you can see some of the favorite books others have already shared here. While you’re browsing the site, you’ll also find fun reading activities, downloads, and much more.

The generous JetBlue team is offering Sweetnicks’ readers a reading giveaway too. A summer reading pack, featuring a cute, bright blue drawstring bag, activity book, and other little goodies could be winging their way to you …

  • TO ENTER: Comment on this post and share your favorite children’s book.
  • FOR MORE ENTRIES: … Tweet this post. Or Pin this post. (You can do that by using the handy little buttons at the bottom of this post) Or follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, if you don’t already (and come back and tell me you did).
  • GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, August 10th at 11pm EST
  • WINNER ANNOUNCED: In this upcoming weekend’s Weekend Photos in Review post
  • NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
  • FINE PRINT: The winner will be selected using random.org.

And lastly, if you’re in the NYC area, there is a Soar with Reading event this Friday …

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 |NEW YORK, NY | 10:30am – 12pm
Riverbank State Park
679 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10031

Barefoot Books author Susan Reed will be reading to the children along with Mr. Steve from PBS KIDS.

*This is *not* a sponsored post. We just love reading … and books … and people that support such things.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: American Girls, Barnes & Nobles, Chuck E. Cheese, jetBlue, Mr. Steve, Narnia, Nicky Fifth, PBS Kids, Soar with Reading, summer reading, Susan Reed, TD Bank, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe

Comments

  1. jan says

    August 8, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    Mike Mulligan and the steam shovel!

    Reply
  2. Betsy says

    August 8, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    Harriet the Spy was a favorite of mine.

    Reply
  3. Tyanne says

    August 8, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    My favorite from childhood…Scruffy, the Little Tugboat. My favorite that my kids like…the Llama Llama Series, and the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series of books.

    Reply
  4. Sarah Caron says

    August 9, 2012 at 12:48 am

    Hmmm. I loved so many books as a child. Reading Charlotte’s Web was very special through, and I adored Little Bear, because it was the first chapter book I read myself.
    Sarah Caron recently posted..Thirsty? Try Lavender Lemonade

    Reply
  5. Joanne says

    August 9, 2012 at 6:24 am

    I was always the reader in the family so summer reading was never a problem for me. My brother on the other hand….

    My mom always made us join a summer reading program at our local library!
    Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Moroccan Red Gazpacho

    Reply
  6. Ramona says

    August 9, 2012 at 9:56 am

    I’ve always been a reader.

    Reply
  7. Meg says

    August 9, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    I’m all about books! I was partial to the “Babysitters’ Club” books as a kid, and grew up reading the R.L. Stine “Goosebumps” series. Other favorites include The Very Hunger Caterpillar and its many incarnations, plus Sharon Creech’s Walk Two Moons when I got older and Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” books.
    Meg recently posted..A summer of peaches

    Reply
  8. Ashley says

    August 9, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    My current favorite book to read to my son is Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type :)
    Ashley recently posted..Big Flavors Turns 6! Quinoa Mexi 6 Layer Casserole

    Reply
  9. Suzi says

    August 9, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    As a kid I enjoyed Charlotte’s Web

    Reply

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The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛

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The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨

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